


We Might Have been Birds in Another Life but I Don't Plan on Singing for You

by victoriousscarf



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Bruce Wayne's orphanage for stray boys, Bruce and Ollie get into a glitter prank war, Bruce's confused parenting, Damian Wayne is seven god help everyone, Dick's Romani heritage, Jason is in foster care, Multi, Tim Drake's puppy crush on Dick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-04-13 02:31:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4504254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriousscarf/pseuds/victoriousscarf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Look, Jason Todd did not ask for the most popular kid in this new, weird school to take an interest in him, and singing, at the same time.</p><p>He was going to join the lacrosse team or something, not the student composed spring musical.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Meddalarksen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meddalarksen/gifts).



> I'm not entirely sure how it came to this but once an idea like this comes around it's impossible to let go (Also I need something else after writing "Find the Sun in the Corner of Shadows") 
> 
> This is a High School Musical AU tho emphasis is far more on the Batfam then trying to adhere to that particular plot.

Leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, Dick watched Bruce knot his tie. “I thought the point of a family vacation was to spend time with family?” he asked, wry and a little uncertain.

 

“It is,” Bruce said. “It's just, there is this one meeting,” and he trailed off when Dick bit off his sigh. “There's a party downstairs though, for other children.”

 

“Children?” Dick asked.

 

“Young adults,” Bruce amended.

 

“That's worse,” Dick said and Bruce finally turned around, shrugging into his suit jacket. “Like, that's just worse. Please don't use that term again.”

 

Bruce looked like he was trying not to smile. “I thought you liked spending time around others your own age.”

 

“It helps when I know them,” Dick said, and reached out to straighten Bruce's tie for him. “Why are you so useless at this?”

 

“I'm not,” Bruce protested. “Even Alfred is impressed that I can finally match colors together. It's you he despairs of ever acquiring that skill.”

 

“I can match colors, I chose not to,” Dick said. “Besides, it took you how many years? Forty? I have time.”

 

“Alfred would despair to hear you say that,” Bruce said, a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth.

 

“So you have a meeting,” Dick said, hands going automatically to brush down the shoulders of Bruce's suit. “And you're sending me down to the kid table. What's Damian doing?”

 

“I think Alfred made sound about taking him to a movie,” Bruce said. “Something animated and child appropriate.”

 

“That will be a horror,” Dick said. “Are you sure I shouldn't go along and make sure...?”

 

“Alfred and Damian will be fine one night on their own, even in public,” Bruce said. “Besides, I thought you might miss spending time with others your own age. It's different from school, out here.”

 

“Because out here is about skiing and spending time with family,” Dick said, and Bruce winced. If Dick had not spent so many years knocking around Bruce's mansion, desperate to understand the man who had taken him in, he might have missed it entirely. “I'm just giving you grief,” he said quietly. “It's okay. But we will spend tomorrow night together, right?”

 

“Yes,” Bruce said. “We'll spend New Year's Eve together, I promise.”

 

“No last minute business?” Dick said, giving Bruce a teasing smile and Bruce knocked his shoulder back.

 

“No. Now go be a pest to someone else.”

 

Dick gave Bruce a sloppy salute on his way out the door.

 

-0-

 

Jason thought, as far as “going away presents” went, being invited along to a party at the local resort and then abandoned by his supposed friends was a pretty sucky present. In fact having foster parents who worked the shitty tourist resort in a tiny town in the mountains in general was a sucky situation.

 

He supposed it was just as well he would be leaving again soon.

 

But in the meantime he was stuck at a party full of idiotic tourists, wandering around in horrible clothes straight out of the pages of some glossy magazine about what was _fashionable_ that week. He could, admittedly, leave, except that would mean stomping down the frozen mountain at night. Though, if his “friends” never showed up again he would probably end up having to sleep downstairs in the lobby until morning came and he could navigate through the snow.

 

In the meantime, he leaned against the wall, listening to horrible karaoke. Seriously. What poor suckers thought getting up on stage and making idiots of themselves was a good way to pass the time? And who the fuck thought a hair cut like that was cool?

 

He missed when the other boy entered the room, because life was not that much of a cliché. There was no light, no time slowing down. Jason just tilted his head and saw him, standing not too far away, holding a cup of punch loosely in one hand and pretending to listen to the girl in front of him. She was practically swooning and the other boy seemed to be taking that with good grace.

 

Jason's fingers itched and he almost leaned forward because no one else in the room held themselves like that, no one else in the room dressed like that, like a carefully controlled explosion that had nothing to do with the trends of fashion and more an inherent desire to mix the worst colors and yet somehow still hold oneself with the poise of the totally confident.

 

That's what Jason didn't get.

 

Who the hell was that kid and how did he get here?

 

Jason was so busy staring at him, that he almost missed the spotlight picking him out of the crowd. “Come on!” a voice yelled up from the stage. “We need our next victims—I mean volunteers! How about you two?” and Jason noticed everyone else was staring at him the same time he noticed the light was somewhere on the other boy and the girl he had been talking to.

 

“What?” he blinked. “Hell no,” he said, as someone pushed him from behind. “I don't sing—” and across the way the girl was blushing furiously, making frantic hand motions to a similar effect. It was obvious the other teens around her were about to start pushing when the boy handed her his glass with a brilliant smile and stepped forward instead.

 

“Sure, sounds like fun,” he said, casually and confident and like it had always been him being singled out, like he wasn't saving the girl from embarrassment.

 

Jason really wanted to punch him, and not just because no one else had tried to help him save face.

 

Instead, he got shoved up to the stage about the same time the other boy arrived, leaping up gracefully and honestly, Jason's mouth had gone totally dry by the time the microphone was shoved into his hand.

 

The host of the party was saying something about correct song selection and Jason found himself staring at insanely blue eyes. “It's nice to meet you,” the other boy said.

 

“I don't fucking sing,” Jason said, the microphone already in his hand so it was too loud and everyone could hear him. The host made a shocked sound and said something half joking, half scolding about language but the boy in front of him just smiled.

 

“You might as well try something at least once,” he said. “Come on, why not?”

 

“Who says I haven't already tried it?” Jason demanded and the boy shrugged as something sappy and pop-y started coming over the speakers. Those blue eyes darted away from him, and Jason stared at the line of his jaw when he turned his head, the way his neck moved when he swallowed.

 

God, he was standing on a stage, staring at this boy and wanted to bite the line between his jaw and throat and _everyone in the room was staring at them_.

 

Maybe going down the mountain in the snow at night wasn't such a bad idea.

 

Then the boy started singing, a little too low at first before he seemed to get a feel for the song, his mouth twitching like he couldn't believe he was actually singing in a room of strangers. Jason's staring only got worse and he turned to get off the stage, only to have the host shove him back. The boy's voice was low, warm and he must have had lessons at some point because there was no other reason—

 

When the verse changed, the boy looked at him, smile wide and his hand reached out, taking Jason's wrist before he realized what the other boy was doing. His blue eyes were bright, his cheeks a little flushed and his fingers were so warm against Jason's wrist—

 

“Come on,” the boy said, holding the microphone away. “Just enjoy yourself.”

 

“I am,” Jason said. “I mean,” and he gave up, because just singing the stupid words on the screen could not be more embarrassing then what he had been about to say. The first note he sang was closer to a croak but then he cleared his throat and tried again, hitting it right.

 

While he sang the other boy was swinging their wrists and Jason realized they were swaying back and forth against the stage when he joined in on the chorus and they were singing together. Jason felt the bottom of his stomach drop out, except they were swaying to the same beat, and their voices didn't clash and the fact everyone was staring stopped mattering for just a few seconds.

 

Because that boy was looking at him and they were dancing, loose and careless and his fingers were still around Jason's wrist, so Jason tilted his hand so he could wrap his own around the boy's wrist in turn.

 

They were holding on to each other and singing and Jason couldn't look away from his stupid blue eyes.

 

-0-

 

“Hey, wait,” Dick called, when the other boy on the stage bailed the second the clapping started, heading straight for the patio outside. “Hey, come on, it wasn't that bad, just wait.”

 

The boy stopped when he was outside and Dick shivered in the cold mountain air. “Hey,” he said, approaching quietly.

 

The boy jumped. “Hey,” he said, voice rough. “What do you want?”

 

Dick's eyebrows twitched together but he smiled anyway, his most charming. “I just wanted to talk to you,” he said. “That was fun, wasn't it?”

 

“I'm not sure fun is the word,” the other boy deadpanned back.

 

“You seemed to get into the song,” Dick said, though he could not for the life of him remember what any of the lyrics had been. He might as well have been singing a love song and he wouldn't have actually processed it. Except, considering what the host had been saying about appropriate music, he doubted it. “And honestly, that was some of the most fun I've had on the whole vacation. Didn't you have any fun too?”

 

“Must be a really lame vacation,” and Dick winced, a tiny motion.

 

“Well, it's had its moments,” he said softly. “Why are you so set on running away?”

 

The boy shrugged but he seemed to have settled down where he was.

 

“What's your name anyway?” Dick asked, stepping closer again, leaning his elbows on the railing around the patio and turning his head. The only other people out there he noticed was a couple hidden in the corner between the door and the wall, and they were wrapped around each other. He could feel his cheeks flush slightly and the boy was staring at him.

 

“Jason,” he said finally, licking his lips.

 

“Well, Jason,” Dick said, holding his hand out. “I'm Dick.”

 

“You're kidding,” Jason burst out, not taking his hand. “There's no fucking way. You can't possibly—you're yanking my chain.”

 

“I'm not,” Dick laughed. “I'm a traditionalist.”

 

“Sure, it's traditional for old men who saw action in the Pacific Front,” Jason said. “You can't possibly go to high school going by _that_.”

 

“Actually, I do,” Dick said, and he couldn't stop smiling. Sometimes he thought he kept that name just to mess with people. Except it had been what his mother and father called him, and Bruce had slipped in to it without a question.

 

Sometimes Dick thought his chest would never be big enough to feel enough for everything Bruce was.

 

“I still don't believe you,” Jason said, giving him a wary look.

 

“Are you here with your family?” Dick asked and Jason's face closed off.

 

“No,” he said. “Just friends.”

 

Dick tried not to glance around at the complete lack of friends in the area. “Come on, is talking to me so bad? I had fun tonight.”

 

“I,” Jason said, expression blank before he ducked his head down. “I guess it wasn't awful.”

 

“Hey, if you're going to be here any longer, like, tomorrow,” Dick said. “Why don't I give you my number? Maybe we could—”

 

“No, I'm leaving in the morning,” Jason said too fast.

 

Dick paused, looking up from where he had pulled his phone out. “Well, maybe,” and he looked over when the doors burst open again, laughter and light spilling onto the patio, breaking the couple in the shadows apart. When he looked back, Jason had practically bolted down the patio, going around the corner while Dick watched.

 

He felt his jaw work for a second before he tucked his phone back into his pant's pocket. “Okay,” he said quietly and watched the snow fall for a few more minutes before slinking back upstairs to their suite, Damian and Alfred already back and Bruce still out.

 

“Did you have a good time, Richard?” Alfred asked, folding clothes even though there was no need.

 

“This is supposed to be a vacation for you too,” Dick said, tugging his shirt out of Alfred's hands. “Did you have a good time at the movies?”

 

Damian made a noise from where he was playing his 3DS on the couch. “Damian did not enjoy the film itself,” Alfred said dryly. “I thought it was at least... bright and had moments of brief cleverness.”

 

Dick tried not to laugh, ducking his head down instead. “Wow, Damian must have really hated it.”

 

“Oh go to sleep, Grayson,” Damian said and Dick still was not over a seven year old calling him by his last name.

 

“Only if you give me a good night kiss,” he said, coming up on the back of the couch and wrapping his arms around Damian's chest, pulling him up.

 

“No!” Damian yelled, flailing as Dick blew a wet kiss into his cheek. “Get off!”

 

Alfred was covering his face, as Dick beat a hasty retreat to his bedroom, Damian throwing all the couch cushions one by one after him. Closing the door, he leaned against it for a moment, thinking about the flash of Jason's eyes, the moment when his hand had wrapped around his own wrist, and he sighed, letting his head fall back against the cool wood.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jason kept curling and uncurling his fingers as the vice-principal lead him around the school, pointing out the lunchroom and other such incidents in a lackluster way. Not that Jason really had a lot of interest of learning in the ins and the outs of this particular school considering he probably would be packed off somewhere else, again, in a few months.

 

People kept giving him big eyed earnest looks, telling him he could break the pattern and he usually had to bite back the urge to punch them and see how they felt about his pattern then.

 

He idly wondered if maybe he would be getting a different sort of tour if he was a scholarship student with a spotless transcript and potential.

 

His nod when she finally dropped him off at his classroom was grateful, but more for finally getting away then in gratitude of the tour. Hitching his bag higher on his shoulder, he took a breath in preparation for entering yet another unknown classroom.

 

“Ah, so this is our new student,” the teacher said and Jason was only going to spare a glance at the classroom, a quick appraisal of his fellow students except—

 

Except that same boy was sitting there, staring at him with wide eyes in an ear-searingly bright yellow tee-shirt and jeans that looked more expensive then everything Jason owned and his eyes were still so blue. Jason had been lying to himself when he remembered his eyes, having dulled them in his memory because how were they so blue?

 

And now because Dick—even though Jason still refused to actually believe that was his name—was staring at him with wide eyes and parted mouth, everyone else was staring at him now too far more intently then they had been moments before when he slid into the room.

 

“And your name is?” the teacher asked, at least somewhat unaware of the vibes her classroom was giving off. Or at least pretending to be.

 

“Jason Todd,” he said, and he wanted to look away, but now Dick was actually smiling to see him and Jason just kept staring.

 

“There's a seat in the back,” the teacher said and Jason walked stiffly toward it, trying to be less aware of everyone still watching him. Except Dick actually turned around in his seat to keep watching him, which meant everyone was paying _more_ attention to him.

 

“Mr. Grayson,” the teacher said and Dick obediently swiveled back in his seat.

 

“Yes, Ms. Kyle?”

 

“Are you going to pay attention to class now?” she asked, and Jason hunched his shoulders, glaring at everyone who was still staring. From his relaxed and open posture, Dick was probably still smiling up there at the front of the class and—Jason blinked—surrounded by red heads.

 

“I am,” Dick said brightly and Jason was starting to wonder what his real name was because he was barely paying attention to class at all and really, he should, because it was the first day and he was already behind just by not being there before winter break but—

 

But the teacher—Ms. Kyle—was saying something about a play audition and Dick was looking over his shoulder again and him and Jason had no idea how he was going to get through this year with this being his homeroom.

 

-0-

 

Dick caught up to him the instant class was over and Jason had no idea if he wanted to run or feel flattered more.

 

“What?” he snapped instead and Dick blinked at him, still grinning and every time Jason had caught sight of his face through class, that grin had not gone anywhere. “Where'd your pack of redheads go?”

 

“My pack of,” Dick started and laughed, shaking his head slightly. “You know, where they're supposed to be I guess. So you're new here.”

 

“Yeah,” Jason said. “ _Obviously_. I mean, the whole embarrassing introduction in front of the whole class and you _staring_ at me like that was just great. Do you know how many other people were staring at me because you started it?”

 

“Really, because I started it?” Dick asked, like he didn't quite believe it but was amused anyway.

 

“Yes,” Jason snapped and his fingers were white around his backpack straps. “Can I help you with something?”

 

“Well, I thought I might help you instead,” Dick said. “You know, show you around a little? Free period's not until later but it's a big school and I doubt you got a tour earlier—”

 

“I don't need your help,” Jason said, automatic and Dick was still smiling at him like Jason wasn't being a rude asshole like usual.

 

“Need, sure,” he said. “But I'd like to. Besides,” and something flickered behind his eyes but he was still grinning. “I wasn't sure I'd see you again. It's not a good idea to waste such a lucky moment.”

 

“It's not,” Jason started but he swallowed hard because it wasn't like he hadn't spent hours thinking about this stupid boy with his blue eyes—and Jason had forgotten how blue they were, because in his mind he had insisted that they couldn't possibly be so blue as he remembered but they _were—_ and now he was standing in front of Jason and for however long they were going to school together. “Okay,” he said finally. “But you have to tell me what your name really is.”

 

Dick laughed. “No, really, it's Dick. I mean, it's Richard, but everyone calls me Dick.”

 

“Who in their right mind would continue going around called Dick?” Jason asked, too shocked to think about it.

 

Dick didn't actually stop smiling but he tensed, eyes going dark and Jason's fingers twitched. “It's what my parents called me,” Dick said and Jason heard the past tense. “When I was little. So yeah, that's what I go by.”

 

Jason winced. “Okay,” he managed, wanting to slink away because Dick hadn't said anything specific but he might as well have painted out in neon letters he had lost his parents and Jason had no idea how to square the smiling boy in front of him with the hole in his own life, as he was shuffled between one foster home to the next. “So Dick then,” and Dick hummed, his grin edging up again into happiness. “I really don't need a tour, I'm sure you have a class,” and he pulled his schedule out of his back pocket just to have something to look at, to keep him breathing.

 

Except Dick plucked it out of his hands and made a pleased sound. “Well, your next class is all the way across the school. I'll walk you.”

 

“You don't,” Jason started but Dick was already moving and somehow he made waddling around high school with a back pack look suave. “Can I at least get my schedule back?” Jason asked, jogging a couple steps to catch up with him.

 

“Of course,” Dick said, graciously handing it back and Jason shoved the piece of paper into his back pocket.

 

“I don't need an escort,” Jason said, and his fingers felt empty without something to occupy them, so he wrapped them around his backpack strap again.

 

Dick was still smiling at him though. “I was sad when you ran away,” he said and just as abruptly, as if Jason had any reply to that, he gestured down a hallway. “Most of the science labs are down there, and the lunch room is this door over here. The food is crap—according to everyone, I don't actually know—but it's cheap which I guess is the point.”

 

“What, you bring lunch?” Jason asked and that felt like an unimaginable luxury.

 

“Yeah,” Dick said and pointed down another hallway. “Library is down that way. Second door on your right. Let it be your friend,” and Jason huffed.

 

“Why'd you say you were sad about that anyway?” Jason asked. “I mean, me running away. Why are you acting so damn happy to see me?”

 

“Because, I am happy to see you,” Dick said, as if it really was that simple. “I thought singing with you was, you know, sorta fun. I haven't had much chance to really sing with anyone, or perform like that in,” and he floundered for a moment. “A really long time.”

 

“God,” Jason said under his breath, looking away and Dick stopped in front of a pillar, tilting his head at the piece of paper on it. “What?” Jason asked, having not read it.

 

“You know,” Dick said softly, a little cautiously. “There's gonna be a spring musical.”

 

“Are you,” Jason started and looked around. People were staring at them with open curiosity. “Fucking kidding me?”

 

Dick shrugged. “I don't know. It's a thought, isn't you? You were a pretty good singer and—”

 

“I am not,” Jason started and turned his volume down to a low hiss. “Trying out for the musical with you, are you fucking insane? I mean, I just got to this school, there is no way I'm going to something so uncool. If I was going to pick any extracurricular activities up, it would be something cool like, like basketball or something!”

 

“Really?” Dick asked and his grin actually brightened. “I'm captain of the basketball team.”

 

“I meant Lacrosse,” Jason said without missing a beat.

 

Except Dick was still smiling, and actually chuckling. “So no to trying out for the musical?”

 

“Hell no,” Jason snapped, and he really had no idea what he was still standing here, letting this boy smile at him and tease him—they barely knew each other and there was a map of the school shoved into his pocket with the schedule. He had gotten around countless schools by himself, he didn't need a guide.

 

“So why'd you move here in the middle of the year anyway?” Dick asked and Jason almost stopped breathing.

 

It would get out sooner rather then later anyway.

 

“Foster care,” he grit out. “You know. Last house didn't really work out,” and Dick wasn't smiling anymore, he was staring at Jason way too intently.

 

“Are your parents,” Dick started, because there was a lot of reasons people ended up in foster care.

 

“Dead,” Jason cut him off and Dick's whole posture changed, his expression shutting off, though there was still a tiny, ironic curl of his lips.

 

“Yeah,” he said so softly Jason almost didn't hear him over the sound of the students moving around, too many of them still _staring_ but that didn't really matter with Dick looking at him like that. “Mine too.”

 

It wasn't even like that was such a surprise, considering what Dick said earlier but it still felt like being hit in the face. “Are you in the system?” he asked, hesitant. Nothing in Dick made him seem like he was but—

 

“No,” Dick said, and he looked away, still leaning against the pillar with the musical sign up sheet. “Someone took me in.”

 

“Relative?” Jason asked, almost a sneer because sometimes that wasn't better at all but it usually was, if you had any family around.

 

“No,” Dick said, not looking at him. “It was actually—someone I'd never met before my parents died.”

 

“How old were you?” Jason said and this bell was taking forever to ring, how long were these kid's free time between classes anyway?

 

“Eight,” Dick said.

 

“And all this time,” Jason started, jealously already choking him.

 

“The same guy, yeah,” Dick said and he was looking at him again, his blue eyes so blue, and sympathetic enough Jason wanted to punch him and run just so he'd never have that look again.

 

“Dick!” a new voice called and they both jumped, Dick turning his head and painting his grin on again so fast it made Jason's head spin.

 

“Hey baby,” Dick said, and Jason felt his spine tense for no reason. So he looked over at the girl in the wheelchair, her bright red hair curled up in a bun.

 

“I didn't like you calling me that when we were dating, I certainly don't like it now,” she said, coming to a stop in front of them, and looking Jason over without appearing either like she was appraising him or judging him. That was hard to do, Jason had long ago decided and it impressed him a bit.

 

“Sorry, Babs,” Dick said. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Remember how you promised to meet me and give me back the book I need for class?” she asked, arching up a brow and this really would be the perfect time for Jason just to escape, to run away and never look back, to pretend jealousy wasn't still curling up in his stomach. But he kept standing there, as Dick shrugged his bag off one shoulder, riffling through it.

 

“God, damn, I'm so sorry,” he said, finally getting the book in question out.

 

Barbara for her case looked amused. “And who is this anyway?” she asked, and gave Jason another look.

 

“Jason,” Dick said with a grin. “He's new here.”

 

“And I'd really like to not be late for my next class,” Jason said. “So nice to meet you but I'll just—”

 

“I said I'll walk you,” Dick said, and he waved at Barbara, who smiled as she gave a small wave back. “So I will.”

 

“Don't want to make you late either,” Jason muttered but Dick was already walking with him and Jason fell into step behind him.

 

“I'll be fine,” Dick said, pulling his bag to sit straight on his shoulders. “I know my way around this school pretty well by now. Say, you should eat lunch with me today.”

 

“What?” Jason stared at him. “Really. Just like that?”

 

“Sure,” Dick said, and Jason still just wanted to run away. This time he wouldn't even have to go through snow in the dark to do it.

 

“I'll think about it,” he allowed finally as they stopped in front of what his second class was.

 

“I'd like it,” Dick said, and he actually reached out, his hand still just as warm as it had been when he lightly touched Jason's wrist. “So come on.”

 

“I'll think about it,” Jason repeated and practically ran into the classroom because there was too much churning through his mind. His first days at a new school usually didn't go like this.

 

Didn't involve meeting another boy who asked him to join him in some crazy scheme to sing, didn't find out this other boy was an orphan too, except one that was lucky in everything possible and—If Jason kept thinking about this he was going to tie himself into knots. Instead he slunk to the back of the classroom after checking in quickly with the teacher, finding himself next to a small boy in a big hoodie that almost swallowed him whole.

 

“Hi,” the boy said.

 

“Hi,” Jason said under his breath. “Is everyone in this school friendly?”

 

The boy's mouth twitched. “No? You must be having a good run though, to ask that.”

 

Jason looked at him and had no idea what made him ask, “Does everyone who meets Dick Grayson feel like they were hit by a hurricane?”

 

The boy laughed, and covered his mouth when the bell rang. “Yes,” he said under his breath and held his hand out. “I'm Billy.”

 

“Jason,” he said, taking the hand and shaking it as the teacher turned around from the whiteboard and started talking.

 

-0-

 

“I'm sorry, are you looking for someone?” Roy asked, when Dick was still staring at the door.

 

“What? No,” Dick said, trying to snap his attention back to the table in time for Wally to snag his bag of cookies. “You know, Alfred keeps insisting that those are for me and not to be shared.”

 

“Too bad,” Wally said, mouth already fully. “If he really meant that, he should stop making such amazing cookies.” Roy took one of the cookies before the bag was finally handed back to Dick with one remaining.

 

“Yeah, that would happen,” Dick said and he was staring at the door again.

 

“Dude!” Roy protested. “What are you looking for?” and he craned his head around to see Dick's line of sight from as close to Dick's perspective as possible.

 

“Nothing,” Dick said again, but kept looking. His intent staring was finally rewarded when Jason walked through the doors, Billy Baston tagging along beside him. Billy had always been short for their age, but compared to Jason he looked tiny.

 

Across the room Jason met Dick's eyes and tensed. “The new kid?” Roy asked, leaning against Dick's shoulder, and Dick shoved him off without looking away. Jason's mouth twisted and suddenly he was turning and striding out of the lunchroom, Billy blinking in confusion, catching Dick's gaze and jogged after him.

 

“Damn,” Dick said under his breath.

 

“So,” Roy drawled. “What's up with that anyway? You totally disappeared after first period and showed up late to second. Like, thank your lucky stars Gordon loves you because he would have probably given me detention.”

 

“Because you're always late for class,” Dick said.

 

“Yeah okay, but you've been weird since you first saw him,” Roy said, and Wally was looking at Dick with his wide and open eyes.

 

“Are you okay?” Wally asked.

 

“Yes, of course I'm fine,” Dick said, shaking his head and pretending his sandwich was the most important thing in the world.

 

Roy gave Wally an unimpressed look. “Okay, but why are you interested in him?”

 

“He's in foster care,” Dick said quietly, because there was no way even if Jason had wanted that to be a secret that it could stay that way. “And, I met him over winter break.”

 

“Dude, you were in another state during winter break—oh,” Roy said. “You met him on vacation?”

 

“He ran away from me,” Dick said and Roy had to cover a laugh, Wally not even trying.

 

“To be fair, I should have known to run away too,” Roy said and Dick kicked him under the table as Kori came up behind Dick, draping herself over his shoulders.

 

“Did Wally already take all the cookies?” she asked. “Why are they laughing at you?”

 

“Because they suck,” Dick said, lightly touching her arm as she moved around to sit down beside him, raiding his lunchbox for his apple, already handing him her chips in exchange.

 

“Apparently new kid and Dick already met, and Dick is trying to make a good second impression because the first one caused the guy to run away,” Roy said and gave up, cackling.

 

“Well, I'm trying to be nice to him because I need new friends,” Dick said. Wally and Kori got into a debate over which of them Dick was talking about, and Roy was still laughing, so Dick spared a moment to sigh at the door where he had last seen Jason retreating—again.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Dick was standing in front of the musical sign ups again, where he had been just about every day. His fingers were restless against his chin, and he still had no idea why he either hadn't just signed up or moved on yet.

 

Because he could just sign up and audition on his own, and see what happened. The lead was pair auditions only, and –to no one's surprise—Helena and Boston had already signed their names up there. They—also to no one's surprise—were the only ones.

 

But Dick still didn't really want to do this without dragging Jason in with him.

 

And he really didn't quite want to think about why yet, except that Jason had been actively avoiding him for days. And that felt too much like a challenge for him to leave alone. It was still a few days until the auditions and he just had to catch up to Jason before then.

 

“Why Dick,” and he was startled out of his thoughts, turning to see Helena walking toward him. “This is the third time I've seen you here this week.”

 

“You watch your sign ups that closely?” Dick asked with a laugh.

 

“Well, I am president of the drama club,” she said. “Of course it interests me when one of the most—and by that I mean perhaps the most—popular boy in school starts lurking around our sign ups. It's funny, you never struck me as the performing type.”

 

“I didn't?” Dick asked, and he tried to make sure his smile was as unstrained as possible.

 

“Well, I don't know,” she said, giving him a smile and a shrug. “Are you?”

 

Catching sight of Billy Baston out of the corner of his eye, Dick gave her another grin, already moving away. “Well, you never know about a person,” he said, the memory of the lights in circus and the smell of the food and the rush of flying suddenly too close to the surface.

 

Instead of saying anything about that, he jogged after Billy. “Yo, Billy,” he said and the smaller boy stopped for him, staring with wide eyes. “How's it going?”

 

“It's going fine,” Billy said. “Except I don't think we've ever talked before.”

 

“Sure we have,” Dick said with a grin. “I mean, we go to the same school.”

 

“Pretty sure I would have remembered it,” Billy said but he was still smiling. “Probably marked it on the calendar.”

 

Dick frowned, linking his hands behind his head as they walked. “I'm not—that cool or standoffish,” he protested.

 

“Not on purpose,” Billy agreed and Dick was still frowning at him. “However, I have the funny feeling you wanna ask me about Jason.”

 

“What made you think that?” Dick asked, trying to side step how obvious he was.

 

“Something just tells me,” Billy said, giving him a grin. “So what is it?”

 

“I just,” Dick sighed, tilting his head toward the ceiling. “Wondered how Jason was doing. He's been hanging out with you a lot and y'know, I was wondering...”

 

“If he ever mentioned you and why he's already avoiding you?” Billy asked, still grinning and Dick sighed again. “I mean, this is really stalker level.”

 

“I'm not,” Dick started and gave up. “Okay, it's pretty stalker.”

 

“What, do you want me to like invite him over and have you hiding out in the garden so you can surprise him and force him to talk to you?” Billy asked. “I could lure him over with the latest comic issues I got this week.”

 

“For calling me a stalker you seem really eager to help,” Dick said after a beat.

 

“He does talk about you,” Billy said and ducked into his classroom while Dick hesitated.

 

“Hey,” he said weakly but Billy was already gone. Jason, however, was standing there and staring at him.

 

“What the fuck?” Jason asked, advancing a few steps toward him. “Were you talking to Billy about me?”

 

“Maybe,” Dick said because sometimes he could be a good liar, but he usually needed a second to prepare and Jason was standing very close to him suddenly. “You've been avoiding me.”

 

“And you're just not used to that are you?” Jason asked and Dick took a step back, leaning against the wall and Jason took another step forward. Their eyes were almost totally level and Dick kept smiling because that was what he was used to doing.

 

“Not on such short notice as this,” Dick said. “Hell, I'm friends with most of my exes and yet you won't give me the time of day.”

 

“And being so popular, that bothers me,” Jason said.

 

Dick's eyes twitched. “It's not about being popular,” he said. “I just don't know why you refuse to even let me try and talk to you, but you're perfectly willing to hang out with Billy Baston!” He stopped as soon as the words were out of his mouth, wincing.

 

“Yeah, that was an asshole thing to say,” but Jason looked amused.

 

“Yeah,” Dick said, shutting his eyes. “It really was. Oh god I can't believe I just demanded to know why you hung out with Billy instead of me, as if I'm better then him. Oh fuck, I do sound like a popular kid.”

 

“Yeah,” Jason agreed. “But you sound like someone who's used to getting their way more,” and there was something dark behind his eyes again. “And maybe you should realize you don't always get what you want.”

 

“So you refuse to talk to me as some sort of lesson?” Dick asked and his smile had frozen. Jason for his part didn't actually look very happy at that either. “Because there's been plenty in my life I didn't get just because I wanted it.”

 

That earned a full body wince from Jason. “I don't get why you want to even try,” he said after a beat. “All I've been is rude to you.”

 

“I like you,” Dick said as if it was that easy.

 

“You don't know me,” Jason protested. “We've interacted a few times.”

 

Dick shrugged. “So? I like you?”

 

“I need to get to class,” Jason muttered, ducking his head down and the door was right there so Dick reached out, grabbing his arm.

 

“The auditions are tomorrow,” he said. “Won't you think about it?”

 

“I don't need to make myself that nerdy and unpopular so soon,” Jason snapped.

 

“Come on,” Dick coaxed and the warning bell went off. “It's not about me getting what I want. I swear. I just... I want to try it with you. I like you.”   
  
Jason stared at him before he dragged his arm away. “I'll think about it,” he muttered and stomped into his class.

 

Dick was late for his class and the second time Mr. Gordon was not quite as forgiving.

 

-0-

 

Dick woke up when Roy toed his foot. “Yo,” Roy said and Dick pushed himself up from where he had fallen asleep sprawled out over his desk in homeroom. “What the hell? You are like the most cheerful morning person even and while I'm sorta convinced it's because Bruce allows you an unseemly amount of coffee he probably doesn't even notice you drinking out of his massive coffee machine in the morning, you're never asleep before class.”

 

Dick rubbed his eyes as he listened to Roy. “I don't drink that much coffee,” he muttered. “I'm usually quite chipper naturally, thank you.”

 

“Which makes this _weirder_ ,” Roy said, sliding into the desk beside him. “So, what's up?”

 

“Nothing dire,” Dick said, running his fingers through his hair. “I caught Donna on Skype last night, when I was going to bed and she was going to go out with friends.”

 

“Oh god,” Roy groaned. “I know there this is going. This is going to end in you telling me you didn't sleep last night and she never made it to her plans with friends.”

 

“We haven't caught each other all week,” Dick whined. 

 

“So I got it in one,” Roy said, rolling his eyes. “Oh my god, I still have _no idea_ why you two thought it would be a good idea for her to leave for a year.”

 

“It's not like it was a joint decision,” Dick frowned. “She really wanted to do the exchange for a long time and she got the chance. I can't fault her for that. Besides, you should hear her speaking Italian now, it's really beautiful.”

 

“Okay, sure,” Roy said. “It wasn't up to you at all I get that but you two have always been so pathetic. Tell me, how long did you cry this time?”

 

“Only fifteen minutes,” Dick muttered into the crook of his arm. 

 

“And you stayed up all night talking,” Roy said. “Please, for the love of god, just promise me when it comes time to apply for colleges and shit you're gonna apply in at least the same states because I do not ever want to think about your co-dependent asses separated for four years. Like just acknowledge you're gonna live together in college and we might be okay.”

 

“Ha, ha,” Dick said, not sounding amused. “You're a riot act, Roy.”

 

“Why?” Wally asked, sitting down behind Dick.

 

“Wally, you have to help me,” Roy said, grabbing his arm and Dick turned his head back enough to see Jason sitting in the back row, his expression stony. Dick frowned, tilting his head slightly and almost missing what Roy said next. “Dick is acting like him and Donna aren't pathetic.”

 

“We're not,” Dick protested. 

 

“The hell you aren't,” Roy said. “You gotta promise me over spring break you're getting your gorgeous butt on a plane to Italy.” 

 

Dick opened his mouth, closed it, and tried again. “The program discourages family and friends coming to visit, because the point is to experience the culture and spend time with your foster family and, I mean, I wouldn't want to interrupt that or be a bother and tickets to Europe cost a lot...”

 

“Dick, I will go straight to Alfred if I have to,” Roy warned. “By spring break you aren't going to be crying for fifteen minutes. The two of you are gonna be clutching your computer screens and crying for _eight straight hours_ about how much you miss each other. I just can't handle that, Dick, not with my delicate constitution.”

 

“You are such an asshole,” Dick decided.

 

“Actually, I think his plan about spring break sounds good,” Wally said, munching on a breakfast cookie.

 

“Thank you,” Roy said, throwing his arms out and Dick ducked automatically. “See? I'm right and you're wrong for once. You are so going to Italy.”

 

“I would definitely have to talk to Donna about that first,” Dick said, the rest of their class slowly filtering into the room. 

 

“You two are pretty pathetic,” Wally offered and when Dick looked back at Jason with the excuse he was rolling his eyes at Wally, he still found Jason glaring.

 

-0-

 

Dick convinced himself he wasn't going to go after Jason that day. If he wanted to come to the auditions during free period, he was going to come to them. Dick would probably only scare him off again.

 

So he went to the auditorium by himself during free period, unconsciously hiding behind the janitor's mop that had been left out when the janitor had been called down to some emergency down the hall. The single auditions for the most part were cringe worthy and the boy at the piano on the stage was looking more and more horrified, even as he gamely kept playing the music. 

 

“What am I even thinking of getting myself in to?” Dick asked the mop in front of him, leaning his hands against the janitor's cart. 

 

“I have no idea,” Jason said, and Dick jumped, not having heard or seen him approach. “Why are you hiding behind a mop?”

 

“I, um,” Dick said and he could feel a flush spread across his cheeks. 

 

He must have been tired, he almost never actually blushed anymore, not after living with Bruce for so many years, not since dating Kori last summer. 

 

“It seemed like an idea at the time,” he offered. “Sorta?”

 

Jason hummed, looking back at the stage. “You really think you want to get involved in this?” Jason asked. The boy at the piano had put his head down in his arms, a discordant note ringing out at the motion. “It looks a lot more like a mess then a legit musical.”

 

“Well,” Dick said flippantly because he had no idea how to react otherwise. “I should put those singing lessons I had at some point to use, I guess.” And he kept dreaming about spotlights and the elephant who had used to follow him around the circus as his unofficial baby sitter and the way applause made his chest feel when he stood panting with his arms up after a routine done well. 

 

He had thought that living with Bruce had buried that itch deeply enough but apparently not.

 

“I haven't had any lessons,” Jason said.

 

“Sure but you have the raw talent,” Dick said with total conviction.

 

“Do you even know what this play is about?” Jason asked. “The leads are supposed to be a pair right? Which means chemistry which means probably a romance.”

 

Dick bit back the “so?” he wanted to say. “Maybe,” he shrugged. “But I think we have a lot of chemistry.” 

 

Jason just stared at him blankly and Dick wanted to duck behind the mop again. 

 

“We sang well together,” he tried again. “You know we did. Look, if you really won't,” and he stopped because Helena and Boston had strolled out on to stage, and the boy at the piano hadn't looked up because they brought their own boom box. “This,” Dick started, as a electro-pop remix of the song the boy had been playing started. “Oh man,” Dick said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

 

“Are,” Jason started and fell silent for a few more bars. “Do they always do shit like this?”

 

“Yeah,” Dick said. “They've been the leads in pretty much ever production since I got here in, uh, third grade? Probably before I don't know. And they have a really unique idea of how to do musicals, I guess you could say.”

 

“Look, I get passion,” Jason said, wrinkling his nose. “But fuck that's a lot of glitter.”

 

“Yeah,” Dick agreed, and he rubbed the front of his chest, even though there was nothing to be self-conscious about. 

 

“Are you totally sure you want to even do this?” Jason asked and Dick shrugged as the song came to it's almost abrupt end, the two teens on stage entwined and frozen in a pose. 

 

“I,” Dick started as Ms. Kyle cleared her throat at the bottom of the auditorium. 

 

“Is there any last minute auditions for the leads?” she called and Jason and Dick both ducked behind the mop, almost banging their heads together.

 

“Is that a no?” Dick asked.

 

“You're the one who wanted to do this,” Jason hissed back and they stared at each other a moment before Dick burst to his feet, waving his hands as he walked down the center aisle. 

 

“Yes!” he said, a little too loudly and firmly and Jason swore viciously before following him down the aisle. 

 

Everyone in the auditorium was staring slack jawed at him.

 

“Really?” Boston asked, crossing his arms over his red shirt with the low collar and Dick just smiled at him as he swung himself up on to the stage. 

 

“Sure,” he said, as if the thought hadn't been obsessing him for days, as if it didn't haunt his dreams. 

 

Helena was eyeing Jason like she had scrapped him off her shoe as he pulled himself up on the stage. “You two?” she asked, pointing a finger at each of them.

 

“Yeah,” Jason said, almost a growl and Ms. Kyle cleared her throat. 

 

“If that's the case, do either of you have the music?” 

 

“No,” Dick said and the boy at the piano was up and moving, shoving music sheets into both their hands. 

 

“Here,” he said, eyes glittering and bright. “I mean, it's a love song, but stuff like that can be changed, you just gotta get the heart of it, you know? Can you read music?”

 

“Yes,” Dick said just as Jason said, “No.” 

 

“I'll help you through it,” Dick said, smiling at Jason who shifted his jaw before nodding. Dick looked back at the boy. “We heard the song though, I think we can work out the tune with no major problem.”

 

“There will be call back auditions,” Ms. Kyle said. “This is more to learn what your voices sound like together. If you will then,” and she gestured, the boy almost bolting back to his piano. 

 

“Ready?” Dick asked Jason, looking over and Jason scowled at him until Dick took his wrist again, holding him like he had the first night they met, his fingers still so warm. Holding the music in his other hand he waited for the first couple notes to start into the song, taking what Jason thought might have been the female part. 

 

But his voice was low and like honey, warmth and passion and Jason almost missed his cue entirely, because Dick couldn't stand still but he was holding on to Jason and singing. But Jason managed it only a note too late, and his voice started out too quiet but it gained more power.

 

Dick smiled at him, swaying and joining his voice back in. Maybe it was just his own ears playing tricks on him, but their voices layered perfectly, a compliment of trained and rough, low and higher, sweet and with a bit of a growl. 

 

By the end of it Jason was even swaying into him, their hands interlocked and Dick felt like his heart was singing with him, thrilling because he couldn't see the empty auditorium through the stage lights but he could see the people on the stage and they looked stunned.

 

He felt stunned too.

 

When the song ended, he stood there, staring at Jason with their hands still locked until Jason abruptly pulled away. But he didn't drop his gaze or run away. 

 

“Oh my god,” Dick heard a tiny voice say, and he turned his head toward the piano where he thought it had come from. 

 

“Well,” Ms. Kyle cleaned her throat. “Do come for call backs,” she said and pointed a finger at Jason, who took a step back. “You, get more training.” 

 

“Sure,” Jason said, hesitant and now he really did look like he wanted to bolt. 

 

Ms. Kyle nodded and swept out of the room at the same time the boy from the piano came rushing over, dropping music sheets as he came. “You,” he had to stop and get control of himself. “That was different, that was great. I'm Tim,” and he thrust his hand against Dick's chest, which Dick took with a broad smile. 

 

“Hi, Tim,” he said, “Dick Grayson.”

 

“Yeah I know,” Tim said, sounding a little breathless before repeating the motion with Jason, who mumbled his name. “Anyway, I composed this musical, I totally don't mind rewriting it for two guys that's great, it's less traditional and cooler anyway. And if you need to practice the song, I'm here. I mean, I go to school, obviously, but I'm usually here in this room during lunch and free period and there's a music class room almost no one uses and we can work as much as you want on this song, I'm so excited, this is so great,” and just as suddenly he gathered his music pages and rushed off.

 

Dick and Jason were left alone on the stage, staring at each other.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of stories that /aren't/ dead... it's only been one year!

Helena waited for Dick next to the pillar where sign ups had been. “You were holding out on us,” she said, a strange smile on her face and Dick came to a stop.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“With your singing,” she said, and Dick finally placed her smile as furious.

“You're the one who assumed I wasn't the performing type,” he said, flashing her his brightest grin to cover up the hurt that had caused. “Maybe you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I mean, I admit I was surprised,” she said. “At how good you were. The partner you chose was—weird to be truthful but you have an excellent voice.” She smiled. “I would love to have you in the supporting cast for this show.”

“Supporting cast?” Dick asked. Boston had joined his partner, and was giving Dick a decidedly unhappy look. “I don't think roles have been cast yet.”

“No,” she agreed, already confident of winning. “But, of course, I just wanted to let you know we'd be happy to welcome you into our show.”

Dick smiled back as someone approached him from the side, and he tried not to startle at seeing Jason there, glowering at the other two. “Good morning,” he said brightly.

“Morning,” Jason said.

Boston flickered a glance at Jason and focused back on Dick. “As we were saying, we'd love to have you in the show. Just don't want you to feel crushed when you don't make leads.”

Dick and Jason both stared non-pulsed at back of them.

“How sweet of you,” Jason said.

“We do try,” Helena said and before Jason could say anything else, Dick gave a huff of annoyance and pulled him away.

“Oi,” Jason protested.

“I can't stand it anymore,” Dick said. “And I don't feel like getting into a fight in the hallway before class.”

“You? Get into fights?” Jason scoffed and Dick shrugged, realizing he still hand his hand on Jason's arm about the same time Jason did. If Dick slid his hand down at all, they would be walking while holding hands.

“You know, I'm not sure where you get this image of me,” Dick started.

“Popular kids don't get into fights and stay as popular as you do,” Jason said, certain and Dick opened his mouth again only to be interrupted by Roy.

“Grayson!” he thundered. “We need to have words!”

“Seriously?” Dick asked and Jason leaned back, defensive and bristling at Roy's tone. “Why are you acting angry? Come on, Roy, this isn't funny,” he trailed off as Roy jammed a finger at his chest, actually still looking angry.

“You held out on us. Hell, you even betrayed us?”

“Excuse you?” Dick managed, Jason getting stiffer and stiffer beside him. At least Dick had dropped his hand off his arm.

“Yeah! What about your team mates, huh? What about us?”

“Uh,” Dick managed and suddenly Roy's face split into a grin.

“Did I actually get you going?”

“For maybe thirty seconds,” Dick admitted and beside him Jason froze, undecided if he could relax. “What the hell, Roy? Was that necessary?”

Roy clapped a hand on his back, slinging an arm over his shoulder and as ever Dick leaned into the casual touch, tucking himself closer to Roy's side than was strictly normal. “Yeah, it sorta was. The whole team is screaming manly screams at the fact you went and auditioned for a _musical_ , talk about hidden talents, Dick.”

“I have those,” Dick said.

“You're gonna give people inferiority complexes,” Roy said. “I mean, the people you haven't already. You have enough obvious talents, too many hidden ones are gonna start causing meltdowns.”

“Why are we friends?” Dick asked and Roy finally focused on Jason, who had settled for bristling again at the scrutiny.

“So you, huh?” Roy asked.

“What does that mean?” Jason demanded and Dick extracted himself from under Roy's arm, putting himself at a more equal distance from both of them.

“Just interesting is all,” Roy said. “I don't think we've had much more of a conversation beside pass me a pencil and stuff.”

“Just because I'm friends with Dick doesn't mean I need to adopt his entire social circle, I have my own,” Jason snapped and then froze when Dick gave him a broad grin. “What?”

“We're friends?” Dick asked, pleased, and Jason stomped away.

“I'm going to class!” he yelled, not looking over his shoulder.

Dick and Roy watched him go. “Of course you pick up the charmers,” Roy said after a beat.

“Damn right I do,” Dick said and grinned. “I picked up you, didn't I?” When Roy mock glared at him he grinned again and started swanning down the hall.

-0-

At lunch, Jason slammed his tray down next to Dick, Billy following him with his modest packed lunch. “This is unexpected,” Roy said and Dick shushed him quickly.

“Stop it. Even though, yes, it is,” and he turned wide eyes up to Jason.

“The entire school is talking about us,” Jason said. “I might as well sit here, annoying as you are.”

“Why are you a glutton for this punishment?” Wally asked.

“Because,” Dick said, and was still beaming at Jason. “I'm glad you came and that you're having lunch with us.”

“I have literally no idea why the things that come out of your mouth do,” Jason said, shaking his head and he glared when Dick slid a cookie toward him. “What the fuck is this?”

Wally looked hurt and offended across the table. “Dude, you do _not_ turn down one of Alfred's cookies. Why does he get an Alfred cookie? I have to beg and steal those!”

“Because you always eat lunch with me,” Dick said. “It's not a special occasion and you've had them before.”

“It's a cookie,” Jason muttered, and after a second, Dick handed another one to Billy, ignoring the sound Wally made. “It's just a cookie.”

“Dude, say that again after you eat it,” Wally sighed and Dick broke his final cookie in half, handing it to Wally and ignoring Roy's offended sound.

“There are only so many cookies Alfred gives me a day,” Dick said.

“Trying to help you keep that trim figure of yours?” Roy asked, poking him in the ribs.

“Something like that,” Dick rolled his eyes. “And this insistence that my lunches are supposed to be for me, he doesn't just cook for anyone, young master Grayson.”

Jason stared at him. “He doesn't really call you that, does he?”

“He's British, and yes, he does,” Dick sighed. “Or he calls me Richard. It depends on if he has lecturing voice on or not.” Roy snorted and Jason was still staring at the cookie, turning it over a couple times.

“He's not your, you know, adopted dad, is he?” he asked.

Dick blinked, and Roy had stilled beside him. “I'm not,” he started, stalled. “I'm not actually adopted. It's some weird legal language, but I'm not adopted. And, no, it's not technically Alfred. He's more the mom anyway,” he added, trying to pass the whole sentence off as a joke.

Jason, Billy, and Roy were staring at him, and Wally focused intensely on his cookie.

“Oh,” Jason said lamely.

“It's okay,” Dick said. “It's this weird thing between foster care and actual, and actual adoption.” He had never asked Bruce about it, and once they had settled in together, Bruce never brought it back up. Dick was part of his life, part of his world and that was all that mattered. Not that sometimes Dick felt uncertainty and fear clog his throat, because Bruce had Damian now and Dick wasn't sure what would happen when he left for college. It made him never want to graduate.

“But think of it this way,” Roy said suddenly. “You're not living with Ollie.”

“Shut up,” Dick said. “You love Ollie, you know you do.”

“I think that might be too strong a word for us manly men,” Roy said, but he was smiling faintly. “Actually I just really like Hal and Dinah. Ollie is the optional one.”

Jason frowned at him and Wally gave up. “Okay, seriously, show of hands who is an orphan at this table?”

“Seriously?” Jason snarled and Dick, Roy and Billy raised their hands as if they were in class. “Oh fuck no,” Jason managed. “What the hell is this an orphan club?”

“Actually I think this is mostly chance,” Roy shrugged, and gave Billy an appraising look, as Billy just stared back at him.

“What are the odds though?” Jason muttered as Kori dropped down, wedging herself between Dick and Roy.

“What are new people doing here?” she asked.

“You would know if you ever bothered to show up for lunch on time,” Roy said and Kori shrugged.

“What's the point in that?” she flipped her red hair over her shoulder and grinned at Dick. “Have we started teasing you about the singing yet?”

“Yes and no,” Dick said warily.

“I think it's cool,” Wally offered. “Really weird, but sorta cool too.”

“Thanks for the vote,” Dick said.

“Okay, but, if anyone else has any weird ass talents they would like to talk about, please express them now or forever hold your peace,” Roy said. “I can't handle any more surprises like this one, okay?”

“I like to bake,” Wally said without missing a beat.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Roy asked. “I was being sarcastic, what the hell do you mean you like to bake?”

Wally glared at him. “Presumably exactly what I said.”

“Dude, why have we not benefited from your bounty than?” Roy demanded. “You could have been smuggling us brownies, what is wrong with you?”

Wally blushed to his red roots. “Well, I'm not that _good_ at it yet.”

“That's why you practice!” Roy said. “On us! With chocolatey goodness. You don't have to be that good to get chocolate right.”

As they talked, Jason gave Dick a half terrified look. “Do you all always act like this?”

Dick leaned closer sideways. “I'd like to say they're showing off but honestly, yeah, I think so.”

Jason just shook his head and Dick wanted to reach out, to squeeze his arm again, or maybe his hand when Kori grabbed his arm and his attention.

When he looked back, Jason was studiously looking at his food.

-0-

Tim caught them on the way out of lunch. “I rewrote the song,” he said, a little breathless. Billy hung back with them as the others went to class, Tim shoving papers at them. “I mean, for your registers and genders.”

“I hope you didn't edit it too much,” Dick said. “I mean it is your story. I'd hate for you to have the change the plot because two guys decided to try out—”

“No, no, it's good,” Tim said. “Actually, I think it makes the plot better,” and Dick was distracted for a moment by the buttons and badges on Tim's backpack straps. “But some pronouns had to be shifted and some of the tension goes in another direction now. Honestly, I'm all for artistic excellent but now I'd be really disappointed if there wasn't a gay love story put on our stage.”

“Uh,” Jason managed.

“I mean, it's time, right?” Tim said, eyes blazing.

“That is,” Jason managed.

“Anyway, look the music over,” and just like that Tim was off, jogging down the hall and Dick wondered if he was always in a rush or not.

“Is there kissing in this play?” Jason asked the empty air, and Dick thought about the tiny rainbow ribbon shoved between a Harry Potter button and a purple ribbon on Tim's backpack.

“I haven't read the full script,” he said, distracted. “But that's what stage kissing would be for anyway.”

“You're not concerned by that at all, are you?” Jason asked, staring at him.

“I honestly wouldn't have auditioned with you if I was,” Dick said, finally looking back at him and stopping. “I mean,” he fumbled with his words. “If it bothers you, if you think—I mean. It's up to you too.”

Jason was staring at him oddly. “No, it's fine,” he managed. “You're the one with the reputation to ruin.”

“I'm not sure I have any of the reputation you seem to think I do,” Dick said and Jason shrugged.

“You're class is like all the way across school,” he said. “You're gonna be late,” and Dick took off running down the hallway, like he hadn't just been asking Jason if Jason was okay with them kissing on stage in front of potentially everyone.

-0-

Jason couldn't focus the rest of the day, dwelling on the way Dick had stared at him, eyes wide like he was worried about Jason and how Jason would be perceived by the other students. Like the thought of homophobic backlash against himself didn't matter at all, but it did matter for Jason.

Jason wasn't sure but it made him want to punch him in his perfect face.

Almost as much as he wanted to kiss him.

That was the problem with spending time around Dick. He felt like a magnet, constantly pulling Jason in and convincing him he was wanted, perhaps even worthy of casual affection. He acted like he wanted Jason around with no strings and Jason was still trying to figure out where those strings were.

Nut still not as much as he wanted to kiss Dick.

The thought made his hands ache and he could not think of a single thing the teacher had said in the last thirty minutes because he remembered the heat of Dick's hand on his arm, the way he tucked himself against Roy as they talked.

He wondered if Dick would do the same with him, press their sides together and lean against him with Jason's arm over his shoulder—

Jason shook his head, wrote down whatever the teacher said and had forgotten it by the time his pencil lifted off the page.

Because what would it be like to kiss Dick? To have that warmth and care in his arms and against him, that smiling infuriating mouth quiet for once and would Dick keep smiling, even when Jason kissed him? Would he sigh, like some of the girls Jason had kissed, or would it be different?

Jason wanted to know so badly he knew he would never allow himself to find out.

-0-

He was on the way down the hall when Wally caught up to him the next day. “Man, I do not like this job,” he said, and thrust a note at him. “For you.”

“Hey, fuck you,” Jason said automatically and took the note, recognizing Dick's hand writing. “Wait, seriously? Passing notes? Are we twelve?”

“Hell if I know,” Wally shrugged. “But I fulfilled my friendship duty for like the next month. See you at lunch!” he added, jogging down the hall and Jason almost thundered after him he had no intention of sitting with them again.

Even though he really, really wanted to.

Instead he followed the note's instructions up a staircase and up to the roof.

He came to a complete, dead stop at the top of the stairs.

Most schools had a flat roof, empty and a great place to hide for a smoke. But this school had to be freakish and have a fucking gardening club upstairs. And among the flowers and hanging vines sat Dick, looking relaxed and happy despite the cool winter air.

“You know, most people who meet on the roofs of schools are doing it for shady reasons,” Jason said and Dick laughed, his face lighting up when he saw him. “This is unbelievable. What kind of fucking wholesome school is this?”

“Maybe not so wholesome, because I think we're going to piss a lot of people off,” Dick said.

“Oh?” Jason asked, approaching.

“Look, we have fifteen minutes before the first bell of the day,” Dick said. “So I wanted to talk. I called Tim last night, asked him about the script and he got me his early draft this morning.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked and he didn't honestly want to come any closer, to sit next to Dick and feel his body heat but he did it anyway, Dick shifting to look him in the eye as they spoke.

“Yeah. He said he's still tweaking it, which means if we get cast, which will also depend on Ms. Kyle, we can have some input on the script, and on what we're willing to do. Tim is so excited by the idea, he said he's willing to work within our comfort level. To a certain extent.”

“Like if there will be kissing or not,” Jason said, throat dry and Dick was so close. He could just lean forward and _find out—_

“Yeah, in part,” Dick said, face serious. “Even if it's a full fledged romance. He said the main relationship could work as friends. I mean, more like _Xena Warrior Princess_ level friends.”

“What?” Jason stared at him.

“I mean, really close friends who everyone suspects are sleeping together anyway,” Dick said. “But that the main tension can work that way too. We don't even have to be romantic on stage. But I think Tim would prefer that. He wrote it as a romance and he wants to make that explicit. Honestly I think he's disappointed he didn't plan this from the start. Probably didn't expect any two guys to audition together.”

“And you're okay with that?” Jason asked. “Your guardian wouldn't flip or anything.”

“No,” and Dick suddenly took both his hands in his. Jason tensed, almost pulling away angrily. “But that's why I needed to talk to you. To know how you felt about it. I don't know what your relationship with your guardian is like. If you're in danger at all, I don't want you to go through with this. If you can't, then we don't have to.”

“But do you want to?” Jason asked.

Dick stared at him. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I really want to. But I'm not going to put you in danger for it either.”

“Why,” Jason shifted. “Why do you want to?”

“Because I auditioned with you,” Dick said like that explained anything at all. “I wouldn't have done that without this. Besides, it would be good. For the kids who might be, you know, struggling with their identities.”

“I'm not doing this as a charity case,” Jason said, finally yanking his hands back.

Dick frowned but smoothed his expression back out. “No, I never implied you were. I just. It would be nice. But as I said. He's willing to work within our comfort and I do mean _our_ , not mine. Whatever you need, if you want to do this.”

“Sorta stuck with it,” Jason muttered.

“Not really,” Dick said softly. “Not yet. We still have to do callbacks.”

Jason looked at him, and really wanted to say no, even as he realized he never would. “Sure,” he said. “Let's fucking do this thing and let's do it right.”

Dick's eyebrow twitched, almost a full question in its own right.

“But we are definitely stage kissing,” Jason said and wondered about the flutter in his stomach, and the way Dick smiled at him.

“Alright,” he said, and despite Jason giving his best stay away vibes, he squeezed his hand again before rising.

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Yo, Grayson,” Roy said, throwing the basketball at his head and Dick was staring off into space so it actually connected.

“Oi!” he protested, rubbing the side of his head.

“In my defense that is literally the _only_ time in our long acquaintance that has happened,” Roy said, his jaw having dropped slightly. “Dude. _What_ is up with you? We're going to have our final championship game in a few weeks. Get your head in the game!”

“It is,” Dick said, still rubbing the side of his head. “Mostly?”

“Dick, captain my captain, like hell it is.”

“Is Dick spacing out?” Wally asked, suddenly appearing.

“Where did you come from?” Dick muttered.

“You ask that every time I run over,” Wally said.

“Because you're freaky fast, speedster,” Roy said. “Anyway, Dick here is distracted and it's starting to worry me.”

“There's nothing to worry about,” Dick protested. “I'm just having a bad day.”

“Does this have anything to do with your morning rooftop date with our resident glower-boy?” Roy asked and Dick blushed, face slowly reddening.

“It wasn't a date,” he said.

“You sure about that?” Roy asked and Dick dived at him, as Couch Grant blew the whistle at all of them.

“Why is no one actually practicing?” he roared and the boys instantly fell back into line.

“It wasn't a date,” Dick hissed at Roy, passing him the ball.

“Sure it wasn't,” Roy said and Dick kept scowling at him the rest of practice.

-0-

Later that night, Dick wandered around the manor until he found Bruce tucked into one of the back studies, wearing his glasses while he went over paperwork which explained why he was hiding. Dick threw himself on the couch across from the desk and waited.

“What's on your mind?” Bruce asked, because when Dick had first moved in he would run into a room and start talking as fast as he could, and Bruce would forget where he was in his paperwork and hand Lucius Fox a horribly mangled report that got him an arched eyebrow that rivaled Alfred's at his worst. Somehow they had both survived those early years when neither of them knew what they were doing, and Dick waited now for Bruce to finish the immediate task in front of him.

“I just wanted to talk,” Dick said and Bruce leveled him with a look over his glasses. “Okay about specific things.”

“Alright,” Bruce said and folded his glasses away. “What would you like to talk about?”

“Well, I,” Dick said and couldn't figure out why it was so hard to say. “I auditioned for a play.”

Bruce blinked and blinked again. “You did?” he asked. “That's—have you ever before?”

“No, I would have told you,” Dick said, and rolled onto his stomach on the couch, pulling one of the pillows to his chest. “I just—there's this kid. And I really like him and it's hard to figure out exactly how it happened but I met him this winter, when we were skiing.”

“Really?” Bruce asked.

“And we ended up singing stupid karaoke together and it's your fault or sending me to that stupid party—”

“It seems to have worked out for you,” Bruce said with a hint of smugness.

“Yeah, yeah. And then he transferred here and I just—I didn't realize how much I missed performing, you know? With the sequin and the glitter and the spotlight and crowds and,” he buried his face in the cushion in front of him and Bruce remained silent.

“I just didn't realize,” Dick finally continued, when he had his breathing under control. “And he was here again and I like him, a lot, and I liked performing with him. So I got him to audition with me only I didn't think anything through, again, and it was paired auditions for a reason and now the script writer is well, rewriting it for two boys and that doesn't _bother_ me at all, but it will bother some people and I just am mad I didn't think it through.”

“You know it doesn't bother me,” Bruce said when Dick paused to breath again.

“Yeah,” and Dick shot him a smile. “I know. But thanks for saying it again.”

Bruce settled back in his chair. “Are you worried about it for other reasons?”

“Roy hit me in the head today by accident because I was so distracted at practice,” Dick said after a beat and Bruce scowled. “Hey, no I'm fine. I'm just distracted and as he pointed out I'm the captain and the championship game is coming up, _assuming_ we'll actually be able to get to it because we're all playing our best.”

“Maybe worry about that during an actual game?” Bruce offered.

“Okay, point,” Dick said and tossed his head before he rolled over to his side. “I'm also worried a little about it, you know, because I watch Damian sometimes after school and with the play I'm not sure—”

“Dick,” Bruce cut him off. “Honestly. Alfred and I can handle my son. You are amazing with him and I appreciate everything you do for him, but if you want this, please don't let that hold you back.”

“Hey, maybe he can come and help paint the sets sometimes,” Dick said, mostly teasing but then Bruce got a considering look in his eyes.

“No,” Bruce said after a beat when Dick held his breath. “That would be terrible. He would probably break all the sets and then some.”

“Or paint them the wrong colors and insist you can't judge an artist's vision,” Dick said and Bruce chuckled once before he got it under control. “Hah!” Dick said, instantly sitting up. “I got you to laugh!”

“Why do you always act like that's a victory?” Bruce asked and Dick threw the throw pillow at him, Bruce catching it easily.

“Because for some reason it always is,” Dick said and leaned back.

“So this boy,” Bruce asked after a second and Dick shook his head.

“Oh no,” he said. “Please don't start. I said I liked him, not that I—well—like like him.”

“Like like?” Bruce asked raising his brows. “Please tell me that's not what the kids are saying today.”

“Sorry,” Dick said, spreading his arms out. “I could but I would be lying to you.”

“Dear lord,” Bruce muttered. “But I would like to meet him.”

“Maybe let me stop scaring him off first and we'll bring it up,” Dick said after a second.

“Scare him off?” Bruce asked, looking more and more amused and Dick groaned.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No we're not going there and no I'm not doing it on purpose!”

“If you insist,” Bruce said.

“I do,” Dick said, crossing his arms sulkily.

“Than I won't press,” Bruce said, still looking amused. Dick rolled his eyes before he spread back out on the couch. He accidentally fell asleep there, listening to the quite rustle of papers and the scrape of Bruce's pen as he finished the paperwork.

-0-

The next morning Jason stood outside their first class, waiting for Dick.

“Jason,” Dick said, face breaking out into a smile upon seeing him and Jason just grunted. “Good morning,” Dick added, still looking lit up just to see Jason.

“Yeah, you too,” Jason said. “Look, I just wanted to say Tim caught me on the bus this morning, about practicing over lunch. You two are the ones with the music experience so I guess we better get started.”

“Yeah,” Dick said.

“I'm glad you two are taking this seriously,” Ms. Kyle said as she breezed past them into her classroom and they both paused, looking after her a second.

“Right,” Jason said and Dick kept smiling at him, and it was starting to make Jason want to crawl out of his own skin. “So, as I was saying, free period. You up for that?”

“Yeah,” Dick said.

“Don't have basketball practice or whatever?” Jason asked.

“It's optional,” Dick said.

“Aren't you the captain of the team?” Jason pressed.

“Jason, I'm going to be there,” Dick said. “We're going to make this work, don't worry. As long as you still want—”

“Yes, okay, I did the audition, you already checked with me yesterday, for fuck's sake,” Jason said. “Stop making sure I'm okay with this or I am going to walk away.”

“Okay, sorry,” Dick said but his smile hadn't dropped and Jason wanted to shake him, tell him that Jason was bad and he should just leave him now before he got hurt. Instead he grunted, shifted his bag higher and walked into the classroom.

-0-

They fell into a rhythm after that, practicing before school when they could, Dick singing the scale when they walked to class and Jason copying him, and during the free periods Dick could get away from practice. Sometimes he would split the period in half, running in late with his hair tousled and damp from the shower he must have sprinted through, falling easily into the song Tim was working Jason through.

At least, since Dick's time was split, he already had singing lessons under his belt, whereas Jason was working up from scratch.

One time Dick had misbuttoned his yellow shirt as he came bolting in from practice and laughing he shook his head, unbottoning it quickly and Jason couldn't keep himself from staring. He had been wondering if Dick just had a natural tan or if his skin was just that little bit darker, but it was the same even color all over.

He also hadn't toweled off very well and Jason found himself watching one drop of water start to slide down his chest as he started rebuttoning the shirt. Except then he paused and Jason still hadn't been able to tear his eyes away. “Jason?” Dick asked and Jason seemed to realize what he was doing—staring at him in desperation—and jerked his eyes up.

“What?” he asked, harsher than he meant.

“I just,” Dick looked flustered and Tim looked up from where he had apparently been able to keep reading music through all this, though his eyes widened when he saw Dick with his shirt still half undone. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” Jason said, too quickly.

“If you're,” Dick started.

“Yes I'm sure. Finish your shirt you're indecent,” Jason snapped and Dick actually did blush, quickly doing the last buttons.

“You don't have to get like that,” Dick said, not looking at Jason.

“Sorry,” Jason managed to grind out and Dick was biting his lower lip, still looking away.

“So, Tim,” he said too brightly. “You said you finished the redone lyrics.”

“Yeah,” Tim said, and handed them over, eyes darting between the two of them. “Jason already took a look at them, so let me know what you think.”

Dick nodded, wandering off to a corner of the unused classroom, hoping up onto one of the desks and bending his head over the sheet of paper, the damp edges of his hair brushing the back of his neck and despite what a mess Jason had just made of staring at him, he couldn't look away again.

“Hey, Jason,” Tim asked softly. “Yo,” and he lightly shoved Jason, almost causing Jason to growl at him. Instead he forced himself to look over, and keep his voice level.

“What?”

“Are you okay?” Tim asked.

“I'm fine,” Jason said. “I am, okay? Leave it alone.”

Except that night, when he was on Billy's floor fiddling with his TV while Billy read comics he still wished the ground had swallowed him up.

“So how's it going?” Billy asked, not looking up and Jason thunked his head on the floor in front of him. “That bad?”

“It's not bad,” Jason said, because he had to convince himself of that. “I just—I made an idiot of myself.”

“So, a normal day?” Billy asked and Jason glared at him. “Okay, worse than usual. What did you did?”

Jason shifted and shook his head. “I actually got mad at Dick Grayson for being so stupidly gorgeous. Which is _stupid_ , because—”

Billy started giggling and Jason came to a complete stop. “Do you _mind_?”

“No, sorry,” Billy said and gave up, flopping over to his side and howling in laughter.

“This isn't,” Jason said, sitting up and propping himself on the edge of Billy's bed. “This isn't funny, Billy! Stop laughing at me, I yelled at him because I was too busy staring at him for unbuttoning his shirt! I was creeping on him and he caught me at it and how does he leave the house dressed like he does? It was a fucking yellow shirt and he was still,” Jason gave up, dropping his forehead against Billy's mattress and Billy at least had stopped laughing at him.

“You are so hosed,” Billy said and Jason groaned. “I mean, I sorta figured your crush on him was off the charts, but man, thanks for the confirmation.”

“Fuck you,” Jason muttered.

“Aw,” Billy said. “I mean, I get it. Half the school is in love with him and I don't think he notices.”

“I'm not half the school,” Jason said. “I'm the moron who agreed to spend half my free time with him. He comes in sometimes after practice and he's just showered. That was the problem today.”

“Oh,” Billy said, drawing it out. “Man, no wonder you creeped.”

“Fuck you,” Jason repeated. “You're not my friend, I have no idea why I'm here.”

“You know friends get to tease each other, right?” Billy asked, shoving his shoulder. “Come on, Jay, I get it. You're crushing and it's awkward and horrible and—”

“You sound like you know,” Jason said, finally lifting his head to give Billy a considering look.

Billy blushed red. “Oh, no,” he said. “No no. We're talking about your crush.”

“Ah, no, now you need to tell me who it is,” Jason said, poking Billy in the side and Billy tried to shove him off the bed.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “There is no way, it's a secret I'll take to my grave.”

“Hell no, I'm going to figure it out,” Jason warned and Billy suddenly stopped, and gave him a serious look.

“But you and Dick,” he said.

“There is no me and Dick,” Jason said quickly.

“Okay,” Billy said. “But are you going to be okay with him, really? You shouldn't yell at him for things he can't help.”

“I know,” Jason said, quiet. “I'm trying.”

“You know, I think people underestimate that,” Billy said after a moment. “Trying, I mean. We can't all be perfect or have stuff figure out, you know? But if you're trying, if you're doing the best you can, that's good.”

“A lot of times trying isn't enough,” Jason said.

“Yeah, but at least you are,” Billy said. “As I said, I think that means more than most people allow.” He patted Jason on the head. “Good luck, and be nice.”

Jason glared at him and Billy laughed again. “We are not friends,” Jason decided.

“Too late,” Billy said and tossed Jason the comic book he had just finished.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter to heal my soul from Stars and Cinders so it's pretty self indulgent boys being morons around each other and very little else.

“So the call backs are next week,” Tim said, pacing back and forth across the room they had claimed as their practice room since the Choir never used it anymore.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed, sitting backwards on a chair, arms crossed on the back.

Tim nodded and stopped when he glanced at Dick, who seemed to have fallen asleep on one of the spare desks, his head pressed against his arms and hair falling in his face. For a second Tim stared at him before he sighed and crossed his arms. “With anyone else I would be furious and demand to know if he was taking this seriously.”

“Why does he get a pass then?” Jason asked, even though he was staring at Dick too, wanting to brush that hair away from his face.

“I don’t know,” Tim said with a shrug. “Because he’s doing so much and takes it all so seriously? Besides, I think the championship game is tomorrow.”

“The,” Jason blinked and thought about all the posters he had seen around school, the excited whispering and the cheerleaders being even louder than usual. “Right.”

“Are you going?” Tim asked, looking at Jason like he _knew_ something.

“No,” Jason said abruptly. “Look, if we’re letting him sleep maybe you can help me with the last verse, I don’t know, somewhere else.”

Tim was still watching him and Jason realized Tim was the type of kid who talked enough you thought you knew him until you realized all at once you didn’t know him at all. And now Jason didn’t have a handle on him while Tim stared at him.

“Yeah, okay,” Tim said finally.

Jason let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

-0-

“So are you coming?” Dick asked at lunch the next day, Roy off still getting his lunch and gesturing like either he was yelling at Wally or telling him a story.

“To what?” Jason asked, munching through his sandwich like his life depended on it.

Instead of getting annoyed, Dick sighed and shrugged. “To the game. Last of the season, blah blah, sorta a big deal to most people. Who like sports I mean. You sorta acted like you liked sports when we were talking that first day? Lacrosse team or something?”

Jason grunted and Dick didn’t allow himself to sigh again.

“Are you?” he pressed, trying to be gentle but wanting an answer.

“Don’t know,” Jason said, still not looking at him and Dick leaned his head on his hand, idly poking at his food instead of eating. “Why are you acting like such a drama queen about it?”

“What?” Dick blinked. “I’m not.”

“You’re not eating.” Jason pointed out.

“My appetite has nothing to do with it,” Dick said. “I’m just not hungry, it’s not because of _you_.”

Jason’s eyes flickered over to him, something angry in them and Dick sucked on the inside of his cheek. “Are you nervous about next week?”

“Aren’t you?” Jason snapped.

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t ever really get anxiety before performing. Never have before big games, don’t really on stage.”

“When have you been on stage before this?” Wally asked, sliding into the seat next to him. “I mean, I know you’re creepy calm before games and shit but what does that mean?”

“Oh, um,” Dick shifted. “When I was a kid. I used to perform more. When Bruce took me in that changed.”

There was silence for a moment and even Jason was staring at him. “What did you do?” Wally asked. “No, seriously man, how come none of us have heard of this before?”

“Because my parents,” Dick started. He shook his head and rose. “No, sorry, there’s no good reason for me to not answer but we’re not talking about it today.” He left, chest feeling tight.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about his parents, or the circus, or everything he used to be, but it felt like someone had hit him with a basketball, having it suddenly sprung up.

He made it to the roof before he realized he had forgotten his lunch entirely. “Ah, Alfred is going to be mad,” he said, leaning his head back against the wall.

“Seriously, you are a disaster,” Jason said and Dick startled, looking over at where Jason was holding his bag. “And one of these days you’re explaining who Alfred even is.”

“I think it would make you mad again,” Dick admitted.

“Well you might as well get it over with then,” Jason said, dropping down beside him and Dick watched him. “Seriously,” Jason said, thrusting the bag at him. “You have to eat something, otherwise you’re going to be screwed tonight.”

“Okay,” Dick said, curling one knee up underneath himself and accepting his lunch back from Jason.

“Big game and all of that,” Jason said.

“Which you’re probably not coming to,” Dick said.

“Does that really bother you?” Jason asked, looking over.

Dick’s mouth twitched as he tried to figure it out. “A little,” he said. “But I get it, you’re a free spirit and all that.”

“You know, I think that was an insult,” Jason said after a beat.

“Not really,” Dick said, looking anywhere except him. “I just, I don’t really know how you’re going to react to things. But I can’t press you. You’ll make up your mind in your own time.”

“You make me sound like a skittish horse,” Jason muttered.

“Maybe that’s not far off,” Dick said with a laugh. “You have to approach horses with kindness before you can ride them.”

Jason froze and a blush slowly spread across his face as Dick’s eyes widened. “I mean,” he stammered. “That’s not, that could be mistaken—”

“Ride me, huh?” Jason said and Dick swallowed hard, feeling his own face turning red.

“That’s—that’s—I wasn’t,” and he bit down on his lip. “You know what, I’m taking that hit and accepting my embarrassment instead of making it worse.”

When Jason turned toward him with dark eyes Dick almost stopped breathing. He clutched his food bag in his lap and wondered if perhaps he could get Jason to kiss him. But Jason turned away again, leaning against the far side of the cement bench.

“Probably a good plan.”

“So, um,” Dick said, looking away and finally forcing himself to eat his own sandwich. He chewed for a while before continuing. “My parents. They were in a circus.”

Jason paused and looked over. “Are you joking?”

“No, I’m really not,” Dick said. “I was too. I grew up there. I was, uh, wearing sequin leotards and performing under the big top since I could walk properly. But they died, some, uh, extortion racket, actually. I was in the routine, but it was the more dangerous part of it so I was on the ground and I got to watch them fall toward me.”

Jason stared at him when Dick took a deep breath.

“Why are you telling me this?” Jason asked. “If even Wally doesn’t know? Isn’t he like your really good friend?”

“I don’t like talking about it,” Dick said, shifting. “I mean, I never meant to keep it a secret, or anything. But I haven’t performed since then, because, because well—but I grew up like that. On stages, under spotlights. And I’ve missed it, like—this sounds so dramatic to say I missed it like a phantom limb but I couldn’t make myself—”

“We don’t have to go to call backs,” Jason said.

“No,” Dick said. “No, I want to. I want to be in that play, I want Tim to get his story, I want to be on stage with you. I just. I just hadn’t found anything worth pushing through that for, before.”

“And I am?” Jason frowned.

“I liked… singing with you,” Dick said. “It made me remember.”

Jason rubbed a hand over his face. “Jesus. I mean, my parents—they’re gone too but nothing like that.”

Dick reached out, hesitantly, and twined his fingers through Jason’s hand. “I didn’t mean to drop that all on you.”

“So, okay, you don’t have to answer this. But this guy that took you in, your not relative, who hasn’t adopted you. How did that happen?”

“Oh,” Dick said and looked at their hands. “He was there that night, when it happened. The whole crowd saw it happen, obviously. And he, well, his parents died too,” Dick said softly. “That’s why.”

“Okay,” Jason said. “You’re still not eating.”

Dick sighed, reclaiming his hand and trying to eat. “I’ll tell Wally,” Dick said. “I just needed a minute. It surprised me.”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “You don’t have to justify it to me.”

“I know,” Dick said, looking down and away.

“So you really want to kick these other singer’s asses next week then?” Jason asked.

“Please,” Dick said, and found himself grinning. It hurt a little, but it was worth it when Jason gave him a hesitant smile back.

-0-

“We’re going right?” Billy said, when Jason got off the bus at his house.

“To what?” Jason asked, still distracted by the way Dick had blushed earlier when he had said something stupid. And honestly if for a second he thought Dick had meant it—had thought about riding him and now Jason couldn’t think of anything else—he would drop on his knees in front of Dick and beg for it.

It made him cranky for the rest of the day, snapping at everyone who dared cross paths with him.

“To your boyfriend’s big game?”

“He is not my boyfriend!” Jason snapped, almost a yell.

“Right,” Billy said.

“Baston, I swear to god,” Jason said.

“Actually, you’re probably right, it’s better we not go,” Billy said. “Because he would see you in the stands and do such a double take he’d totally miss the ball and they’d lose their championship game. He’d probably get his captain ship stripped from him for his senior year and—”

“Fine!” Jason said. “We’re going, okay, are you happy now? Admit this isn’t about me. I’ve got your crush narrowed down to that team.”

Billy pat him on his shoulder. “Whatever, Todd.”

Which was how Jason found himself at the championship game later that night, having sulkily bought m&ms at the concession booth.  “Most people enjoy sports games,” Billy said beside him.

“Sure,” Jason agreed, and tried to focus on Roy who was tossing a ball back and forth with Wally instead of Dick who was talking to a _red-haired_ cheerleader that Jason didn’t really know. He couldn’t believe it.

How many red heads did Dick know?

“You’re staring,” Billy said in sing song beside him.

“Shut up,” Jason muttered, and let Billy steal some of his candy because he had designs on some of Billy’s later.

But he let himself relax, tried not to stare at Dick too much. But at one point Dick did seem to notice him, because his eyes flickered up and then Dick actually turned his head to stare. Jason felt his stomach drop, scared Dick was about to miss something important and Billy’s prediction would come true but then Dick was sprinting down the court.

And when they won, Jason cheered with everyone else. He fully intended to leave with everyone else too except Dick somehow caught him before he made it.

“Did you seriously run around the gym to reach the doors?” Jason asked.

“Maybe,” Dick said, and there was sweat in his hair but he was grinning.

“Don’t you have some adoring fans to hang out with?” Jason asked.

“And you’re not one?” Dick asked with a grin. “I just wanted to say I noticed and thanks for coming. Think we’ll do just as well next week?”

“Sure,” Jason said. “We’ll knock their damn socks off with our talent.” When Dick kept grinning at him he actually believed it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be kind about any typos, it's been the sort of day when I use words with trepidation in sentences but also forgot how to spell Roy for like six straight minutes.

“You know, if Tim gets any say in this, I’m fairly certain we’re going to be in this play,” Dick said, scrunched up in one of the theater chairs, watching Helena and Boston on the stage.

“He sorta looks like he wants to die,” Jason agreed, his arms crossed over his chest and trying not to stare at Dick in the dim light, from where he had one of his feet hooked on the edge of the fold down seat, his knee against his chest, and the arm furthers from Jason propped on the seat arm and supporting his chin. He made it look effortless was the thing that kept getting Jason.

“I mean,” and Dick winced when Helena hit a high note. “I don’t want to be insulting, but I don’t understand making every production the same, you know?”

“Covered in sequin and high notes,” Jason said and shook his head. “I mean, it’s a niche I guess.”

“I just,” Dick said, tipping his head to the other side and Jason wished he could stop staring. “I mean, they love it though. This is what they do, you know?”

“Please don’t guilt out on me again,” Jason said and Dick’s eyes flickered over. For a second, Jason’s stomach lurched as he was caught staring but Dick looked back at the stage as Helena produced a high note.

“I mean,” Dick sighed. “A little. I don’t like making people unhappy, you know? But I also really want this. I want to get up on a stage and sing and dance with you.”

“Okay,” Jason said and paused. “You mentioned, when you were younger, you know? You’re not gonna want that many sequin are you?”

“I got over my glitter phase sometime when I was fourteen,” Dick said. “I mean, discrete glitter, sure, but that’s just tacky.”

Jason arched a brow at him. “Grayson, I hate to tell you this—”

Dick gave him a blank look, as if his orange shirt and blue shoes were somehow not tacky. Or maybe he was daring Jason to finish his sentence.

But before Jason could make up his mind the stage fell silent and they both looked up. “That’s our cue, I think,” Dick said.

“Ready for this?” Jason asked.

“Sure,” Dick said, giving him a grin and untangling himself somehow gracefully.

Jason let him lead the way to the stage, trying not to watch him as he walked, trying not to dwell on the sway of his hips. Somehow his horrible clothes never seemed to be a turn off as much as they should have been.

Tim grinned at them, sitting back at his piano and Jason hoped his coaching would help, because he honestly didn’t want to disappoint him.

He really didn’t want to disappoint Dick.

Dick who smiled at him and took his hand like he always did and the lights meant Jason couldn’t see the stage, didn’t have to look at anyone else in the world except for Dick Grayson. So he sang, for Dick and to him and hoped it would be enough.

He wanted to give Dick something he wanted just because Dick was still there, holding his hand.

Jason wished that meant less to him.

-0-

“You certainly worked hard to improve,” Ms. Kyle said, eying both of them and Jason had his arms crossed over his chest, defensive and Dick wanted to reach out and draw his hands down. Instead he just smiled at his homeroom teacher. “Which I admit surprises me.”

“And why is that?” Dick asked, and the corners of his smile were strained.

“Simply not what I expected,” she said. “The actual roles will be posted. Mr. Drake?”

“Coming,” Tim said, giving them a thumbs up and dashing off the stage.

“I think that went well,” Dick said, sitting on the edge of the stage, and Jason sat down beside him. Dick felt too aware of him, only inches away.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed.

“Are you ready for this?” Dick asked, with a grin.

“You must just be happy basketball season is over,” Jason said.

“Mostly,” Dick agreed. “I mean, I love it when it’s happening, don’t get me wrong. But by the end of the season I’m tired.”

“I noticed,” Jason said. “Something about falling asleep during free period.”

 “Ah, right,” Dick said, biting his inside cheek. “I’d forgotten about that. You assholes left me there and I got woken up by the bell.”

“Whoops,” Jason said after a beat. “Tim had me practice somewhere where we wouldn’t wake you up and I forgot.”

“It’s okay,” Dick said, glancing over. “I mean, I’d rather you didn’t do it again.”

“Thinking I’ll have the chance?” Jason asked wryly and Dick stared at him.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “During practice and stuff.”

“Right,” Jason said and they both fell silent, staring at the darkness from their perch at the edge of the stage. “Hey, how come none of your teammates came out to cheer and pester you?”

“I told them not to,” Dick said.

“Not even the cheerleaders?” Jason asked.

“Huh?” Dick blinked at him. “Oh, no, that sounds like a horrible plan. I mean, I like most of them but I’m not sure what’s what you need in a theater.”

“You like the cheerleaders?” Jason asked. “I mean, I get it, you’re the popular jock but they have a reputation you know.”

“Hey,” Dick protested. “Some of them are sweet.”

“You’re joking,” Jason said. “Reputation, remember?”

“You just haven’t met M’gann,” Dick said.

“The red head?” Jason asked.

Dick blinked at him. “Wait. Seriously?”

“You’re the one constantly being mobbed by red heads,” Jason pointed out. “Even at the game, which you know I came to so this shouldn’t surprising.”

“That’s not necessarily what I find surprising,” Dick said.

“What does that mean?” Jason asked.

Before Dick could reply, the back door to the theater opened, Helena walking back in and they both froze, watching her approach. “You both did very well today,” she said, crossing her arms and stopping in the walkway when she was still level with them.

“Thank you,” Dick said.

“And I am honestly surprised,” Helena continued. “But I always admire talent. I’m not happy with it, but at least it’s not senior year.”

“This wasn’t about pushing you out,” Dick said softly.

“I’m trying to come to terms with that,” Helena said acidly. “But it is what it is. Congratulations on a job well done. But Boston and I are still presidents of the drama club and we will be making sure this play goes on without a hitch.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Dick said and could feel Jason want to protest before he just shrugged. “But the cast hasn’t been posted yet.”

“Let me bow out gracefully,” she said, shaking her head. “We have one style and the freshman has another and you’re his favorites. It just is what it is.”

She turned, walking back the way she came and Dick glanced at Jason again.

“So this is really happening,” Jason said.

“Guess so,” Dick said and he allowed himself to reach out and squeeze Jason’s hand.

-0-

Within a week they were not only doing rehearsals but painting sets and Tim was throwing costume after costume at them before declaring nothing was right.

“He’s a little picky, isn’t he?” Jason asked, squinting at a pale blue tuxedo coat.

“Precise, I think,” Dick said. “Put that down before you burn it with your eyes.”

“It’s hideous,” Jason pointed out.

“It’s not the poor thing’s fault,” Dick said, trying not to laugh.

“Whatever,” Jason said, tossing it away, and looking over at where Roy was painting a set, talking to Billy who had tagged along with Jason and now looked a little uncertain what to make of his life. “At least he decided I don’t have to wear it.”

“I’m sure he has something even worse planned,” Dick said and there was a commotion at the far end of the auditorium, causing them both to look over and Dick came to a complete stop when Bruce Wayne appeared to be approaching the stage. “ _Bruce_?” he asked and looked at his watch as if it would tell him anything. “It’s not Thursday, I haven’t lost my mind and forgot to pick up Damian.”

“No,” Bruce agreed, looking totally out of place in his perfectly cut suit. “I just had my afternoon cancel on me and well, wanted to see how things were going with the play.”

Dick stared at him, flabbergasted and caught between flattered and horrified. “You do remember this is what phones are for?”

“You would have told me not to come,” Bruce said, tone mild and Roy gave him a two-fingered salute from where he was half up in a prop tree he was painting. Bruce gave him a flat look for a second before shaking his head.

“For a reason,” Dick said, finally hopping down off the stage, and he felt too aware of Jason watching him.

“I’m being supportive,” Bruce said, almost a little uncertain, like he had done something wrong.

“Yes, you are,” Dick agreed, biting back a sigh and he smiled instead. “And I appreciate it.”

“But you’re embarrassed too,” Bruce said.

“A little, yeah,” Dick said. “You don’t usually come to school after all.”

Suppressing another sigh, Dick turned around and Jason was watching Bruce intently, taking in his pressed suit and broad shoulders and frowning. “Hey, Jason,” Dick called. “Come and meet my guardian.”

Bruce’s eyes lit up slightly when Jason was signaled out. “This is him then?” Bruce asked and Jason approached warily as Bruce held his hand out.

“Him?” Jason repeated.

“Dick has told me about you,” Bruce said and Dick looked at the ceiling.

“Just that we were auditioning together,” Dick said and he could hear the whispers starting behind them finally, as people started processing that Bruce Wayne was standing in their high school. Whoever didn’t realize who Dick’s guardian was, did now and a whole fresh wave of rumors were going to be all the way around school by morning.

“Jason Todd,” Jason introduced himself gruffly and Dick held his breath.

“Bruce Wayne,” Bruce said and Jason’s eyes widened alarmingly, jerking his hand back like it had been burned.

“What?” he asked, eyes flickering to Dick. “Are you joking?”

“No,” Bruce said.

“He’s really bad at jokes,” Dick said.

“I am not,” Bruce protested.

“No, you’re right,” Dick said after a beat. “You just make them so rarely you usually have more tells when you finally give in and say something truly ridiculous.”

“Your guardian is _Bruce Wayne_?” Jason hissed.

“Yes?” Dick offered, and Bruce was looking between them.

“Isn’t he the fifth richest man in the country?” Jason asked, and Dick cringed.

“Fourth,” Bruce corrected. “I beat out Lex Luthor last year.”

“He’s such a sore loser,” Dick couldn’t help but add because it always made Bruce smile to be reminded. “Look, not that I’m not happy you came, but everyone is staring.”

“You’re right,” Bruce said, because he hadn’t fully processed it, already too used to it wherever he went. Dick still wasn’t. “Since I’m here, and have a free afternoon, let me take you out to an early dinner.”

“That,” Dick started, looking at Jason, whose face twisted.

“It’s fine,” Jason said, stepping back. “I mean, I’ll see you—”

“That was an invitation for both of you,” Bruce said. “And Harper too, as I’m sure Queen doesn’t feed him right.”

“I’m telling Ollie you said that!” Roy yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth, still not having come down from his tree.

“That is what I was counting on,” Bruce said after a beat.

“Bruce,” Dick said, covering his face with his hands.

“Sorry,” Bruce said, not contrite at all, and Jason was looking between them again.

“Anyway, I already have plans,” Roy added and waved. “And I will not be held responsible when a prank envelope of glitter shows up at your office.”

“Is that seriously a thing?” Bruce asked.

“If it is, Ollie would be on that in a heartbeat,” Dick said and glanced at Jason. “Well?” he asked softly. “You wanna come?”

Jason’s eyes flickered between him and Bruce once more time. “Sure,” he said finally, looking like he was already considering this was a horrible idea. “Except I was supposed to get Billy home—”

“I can find another ride!” Billy said quickly, and everyone else was glued on their whole conversation. It made Dick’s skin crawl.

“Or he can come too,” Bruce said, magnanimous.  

Billy looked like he had been hit in the face with a star and Dick gave Bruce a smile. “That would be nice,” he agreed. “I mean, if he wants to.”

People were so star struck by Bruce sometimes they didn’t realize how awkward it was being in public with him, but Dick felt a weird flutter, thinking about going to dinner with Jason in tow.

“Yes,” Billy said, already scrambling down and Bruce nodded, happy with having netted a proper number of youths to be generous with. Dick glanced at Jason again, wanting to reach out and take his hand like he had so many times on stage.

“Thanks,” Dick said softly.

“For what?” Jason asked, and Bruce was nodding to Billy’s enthuse thanks, a small smile hovering at the corner of his mouth.

“For agreeing to this,” Dick said.

“I can’t believe you didn’t mention your guardian is world famous,” Jason muttered. “Or is that another thing you don’t like talking about?”

“It’s sorta weird,” Dick said under his breath, now that Bruce was walking back out of the auditorium, Jason and Dick following behind Billy. “And people react weirdly. I _was_ going to bring it up.”

“Yeah,” Jason said, like he wasn’t sure he believed Dick and Dick supposed he deserved that. Jason came to a bit of a stumbling stop when he saw Bruce’s sleek car and honestly Dick could understand that. Sometimes he was still a little stunned whenever Bruce brought home a new car and he was used to Bruce’s expensive tastes. “Jesus,” Jason whispered.

“And you actually get to get into it now,” Dick added with a grin, Jason staring at him. “I promise it’s as awesome as it should be.”

“It better be,” Jason said after a second, dropping into the car. Taking a deep breath and wanting to curse at Bruce as much as he wanted to hug him, Dick followed.


	8. Chapter 8

Dick slid into the back seat before anyone noticed, Jason following quickly which left Billy to stare wide eyed at the front seat before gingerly sliding in.

“Where do you think?” Bruce asked, as if he had hadn’t noticed the specific seating plan. “Luke’s down on the pier?”

“No,” Dick said instantly and Jason glanced at him sideways. “What about the Greek place on 30th?”

Bruce made a dissatisfied sound. “Not tonight. I’m not dressed down enough and forgot my shades.”

“Right,” Dick said, rolling his eyes.

“What about 25th Club?” Bruce asked.

“Bruce, seriously,” Dick said, and Jason was the one sitting behind Bruce so he kept glancing between Dick and the back of Bruce’s head, trying not to wiggle in the seat too much. “Okay what about Beatrice’s Grill?”

“Same problem,” Bruce said. “I have some reputation to maintain. Lobster’s?”

“No,” Dick said. “Okay, okay, that sushi place, what is it, Zen Sushi? You know, the one Damian liked so much when Connor introduced us to it?”

“Hm,” Bruce hummed. “That could work. Sushi is an eccentric enough choice we can get away with it.”

Dick rolled his eyes again and Jason wanted to lean over and ask what half that conversation had meant. “Sushi?” he asked instead, quietly.

“Please tell me that isn’t going to be a problem,” Dick said under his breath.

“I’ve just never had it,” Jason admitted.

“We’ll find you something,” Dick said. “I mean, even if you’re vegan they have options. Or, if you don’t like raw fish they have some katsu chicken, tempura, stuff like that.”

“Do you seriously think I’m vegan?” Jason asked after a second.

“No, I’ve seen what you eat at lunch, I just mean they have options for just about everyone,” Dick said. He had leaned over as they spoke, resting his weight on one arm and his hand was perilously close to Jason’s. He could reach out and wrap his fingers around Dick’s—

The car moved through a turn suddenly, and Jason drew himself abruptly back. “How fast is he driving, anyway?” he asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Dick said, with the voice of someone who had asked himself that question too many times.

“It’s a nice car,” Jason said and somehow when Bruce deaccelerated to slide into a parking spot they barely felt it. When they got out of the car, Jason stopped, head tipping back to look at the façade. “This,” he started and turned to glare at Dick. “You have to be kidding.”

Dick sighed, looking down. “I know, I know,” he muttered. “I negotiated him down from where he wanted to take you. He likes showing off, even if he’ll never admit it. Maybe it’s more like treating people to what he can give them, I don’t know.”

“There’s no way I could afford anything from here,” Jason said, speaking in a hiss.

“I hate to say I find it funny you thought for a second you would be allowed to pay for it,” Dick said, shaking his head.

Bruce and Billy had already gone ahead, though Bruce stopped at the doorway and turned around. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Jason said. “Who had taken you in? I mean, what the fuck are you even doing going to public school?”

“Because I insisted I would,” Dick said after staring at Jason a second and it made Jason swallow hard. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I get you’re mad but you agreed to coming out, so can you just,” and he spread his hands out, obviously running out of what he wanted to say. “For right now? Let Bruce feed you, and you can yell at me more about it later, okay?” He ducked his chin down and looked up at Jason through his lashes and Jason wondered if he even realized what he was doing. “I did want you to meet him,” Dick said softly. “I’m sorry it was like this.”

Jason’s eyes flickered to the façade, with Bruce and Billy standing there and back to Dick. “This was negotiating him _down_?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Dick sighed.

“Jesus Christ,” Jason said. “At least knowing you is never boring,” and Dick beamed at him like it had been a compliment. Jason’s stomach turned over so he stomped toward the door, Dick trailing after him.

-0-

Jason broke his chopsticks and tried not to stare at everything around him. Billy had less shame and did exactly that. “This is, um,” he said, burying his nose in the menu, despite the plates passing them by on the conveyor belt.

“And don’t either of you dare try and order the cheapest thing off the menu,” Bruce said, already plucking a few plates off the belt.

“Bruce,” Dick said, almost scolding. “You don’t have to be that blunt about it.”

“For some reason your friends keep trying that,” Bruce said.

“Because they think it’s being polite,” Dick pointed out. “Besides, it was just Wally and Donna who tried it. Roy never has.”

Bruce gave him a long look over the table and Dick kept beaming at him. “I won’t say why that’s the case,” Bruce muttered, and glanced to Billy at his side, Jason across from his friend. “So. How well do you know Dick?”

“Um,” Billy said, face turning red because Bruce Wayne was paying direct attention to him. “Not great? I’m more Jason’s friend and just sorta got dragged along with him and Dick. We have lunch together a lot now.”

“Our lunch table is really becoming orphans united,” Dick said. “Except Wally.”

Dick paused, picking a plate off the belt and handing it to Jason. “Seriously?” Jason asked.

“Just try it,” Dick said.

“Orphans united?” Bruce asked, face falling still for a second before looking at Billy again. “Did you lose your family?”

“Uh, it was a long time ago,” Billy said, looking down. “But it’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay but I’m okay. Jason’s in foster care too.”

“Seriously?” Jason asked, glaring at Billy but suddenly he had Bruce’s attention too.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bruce said after a beat. “Are you both in good situations?”

“Like you could change it if we were?” Jason snapped and Bruce arched a brow at him. Dick was working through the sushi roll he had claimed off the belt like it was the only thing he way paying attention to but Jason suspected he knew better.

“It’s fine,” Billy said quickly. “I mean, I got taken in by uh, I think he might have been a distant cousin. I call him uncle though and it’s really good.”

Jason and Bruce frowned at him. “You sound like you’re trying to prove that too much,” Dick said, somehow able to translate both their looks.

“Oh,” Billy said, eyes widening and he still hadn’t eaten anything. Jason hadn’t either, still poking the roll Dick had handed him with his chopsticks. “No, I’m serious. Uncle Dudley is great. I mean, I would have run away a long time ago if he wasn’t. I did before.”

“You what?” Jason asked and Billy looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.

“I, uh, ran away,” Billy said, looking down, focusing intently on his hands, one finger rubbing circles on his other hand. “From foster care. When it was bad. I lived on the streets for a while, but, well, Uncle Dudley finally tracked me down. We still—we haven’t found my sister yet but we’re looking. So, it’s, it’s good. Uncle Dudley might not be the—the best or the smartest but he’s kind and he cares and he gave me a home and I’m happy there. I just wish we could find Mary.” He buried his face in his hands. “God, I can’t believe I just admitted all of that. I try not to.”

Dick stood while Jason stared at Billy in shock, trying to figure out why he hadn’t heard even half of that before—and he couldn’t tell which half bothered him more, that Billy had a missing sister or that he had run away from foster care. “Hey, Billy,” Dick said softly, urging him up and leading him away, presumably toward the bathrooms. His arm was over Billy’s shoulders and he was talking softly as they walked, getting Billy away from the prying eyes that followed Bruce Wayne everywhere.

Which left Jason sitting, still shocked, across from Bruce Wayne by himself.

He finally shoved a piece of the sushi roll in his mouth and hated that Dick had been right and it was something he liked.

“I didn’t mean for that,” Bruce started and shook his head. “Damn.” Jason grunted something and glanced at the belt, wondering if he could spot another roll like he the one he had. “So you’re the boy that got Dick up on stage again.”

“I’m,” Jason startled. “That’s not quite—” Except Dick had more or less told him that was exactly what it was, so he shouldn’t have been surprised Bruce had known it too. “So? You have a problem with that?”

“No,” Bruce said, dumping a piece of sushi in soy sauce. “I’m happy that he’s happy. It was just unexpected.”

“Yeah, well, for me too,” Jason said, not wanting to look at him so looking everywhere else. He realized people _were_ watching them and decided focusing on Bruce was the easier option. Bruce was looking at him almost fondly and it made his hackles rise. “You know, you’re not what I expected from a billionaire playboy.”

“My reputation was vastly overstated,” Bruce said mildly.

“Whatever,” Jason said, stabbing his chopstick at the roll and almost making it fall apart. When he glanced up he could see Bruce deciding not to say anything about it.

“It was,” Bruce said. “At least a lot of that stopped when I took Dick in. The perception and rumors have never gone away.”

“Yeah, it must really suck having all that money and reputation,” Jason said sarcastically.

“It has its moments,” Bruce said which was such a middle of the road answer Jason almost stood and stormed out, even though he had no idea where he actually was or how to get home without someone to give him a ride. “It almost cost me Dick,” Bruce said. “Someone sued me, saying I couldn’t possibly raise a child, with the life I led.”

“If you’re trying to get my sympathy—”

“You’re the one who brought up my playboy reputation,” Bruce said.

“Dick said your parents had died too,” Jason said and Bruce gave him a carefully blank look. “But you gotta admit, taking in a kid that looks like that must have raised a thousand eyebrows.”

Bruce’s expression got significantly less blank. “It did,” he said, an angry sound and Jason clicked his mouth shut, instincts warning him he had pushed enough.

Bruce hesitated before he leaned forward, catching Jason’s eyes and holding them. “I don’t make it a habit to doubt Dick,” he said and never before had Jason wanted to run so quickly or so far, even though he had wanted to run an awful lot in his life time. “And I would never try and control his friendships or his heart. But be careful with him.”

“Is that a warning or a request?” Jason asked past his dry throat. He tried to find his glass of water without dropping his gaze.

“Can’t it be both?” Bruce asked, raising one brow when Dick and Billy came walking back. Billy’s eyes were a little red but he otherwise looked as happy as ever and Jason was still trying to square the happy boy with _missing sister_ and _lived on the streets_.  

“I’m sorry,” Billy said, the instant they were back on the table.

“I told you you don’t have to be,” Dick said, sitting down next to Jason and glancing at him.

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Bruce said, his voice warm.

“It’s just Mary’s birthday today,” Billy said. “And then once I start babbling I can’t stop. I didn’t meant to dump that all out at dinner, well, and here,” he trailed off, voice small.

Bruce glanced at him. “What’s your sister’s legal name?” he asked.

“Um, Mary Baston?” Billy said.

“Do you have any other information?” Bruce said and Dick was hiding a grin in another roll he had pulled off the belt.

“I,” Billy blinked at him. “I can get you what we have?” he said, voice small as if he just realized what Bruce meant with his questions, and what resources he might have that Uncle Dudley and he did not.

“Excellent,” Bruce said, and Jason felt his stomach twist again. So he looked at Dick, who glanced up after a second and offered him a soft smile.

-0-

Bruce dropped them off at Uncle Dudley’s, because Jason had called his foster parents in the middle of dinner when he gave up and hid in the bathroom, asking if he could spend the night with Billy and his uncle.

“Are you really okay?” Jason asked, realizing he was hovering awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Billy said. “I’ve been living with this a long time, you know?”

“You hadn’t told me,” Jason said, and wished it didn’t sound quite so accusing in his own ears.

Billy looked at his feet as they walked up the drive way. “It’s sorta awkward though. Like, hey, you don’t like foster care well I ran away and lived in an abandoned building for a while. Probably would still be there honestly, barely making it by, but this reporter found me. I think he was ready to adopt me on the spot, but, well, he did some digging and we found Uncle Dudley. So, I mean, it worked out.”

“But,” Jason started.

“God, I just couldn’t bring it up,” Billy said.

“But that’s what friends are for,” Jason protested.

“I meant to,” Billy said. “At some point. I really didn’t mean to babble it out, I swear.”

Jason bit the inside of his cheek hard and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I get it.” He hesitated, and then leaned over, wrapping his arm around Billy’s shoulders like he had seen Dick do. “I’m here for you. Whatever you want or need.”

“Thanks,” Billy said faintly. “That—thanks.”

Jason forced himself to smile, squeezing Billy’s shoulders, in their usual red sweatshirt tighter.

-0-

Dick leaned against the car door, watching trees and lamps zoom past as Bruce drove them out of the suburbs of Gotham toward the winding road to the mansion.

“I’m sorry,” Bruce said when he was silent too long.

“It’s not that,” Dick said. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was just unexpected—like, all of it.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Bruce said. “Do that, none the less. I just wanted to meet that boy and well—”

“You like taking care of people,” Dick said. “I get it. I know, I’ve been on the receiving end of it enough times. It was pure chance you picked up two orphans in one go, but let’s be honest you would have done that in a heartbeat if you had known.”

Bruce laughed, low and warm and Dick curled further up against the door, feeling content. “Fair.”

“More than fair,” Dick protested. “Bruce, I know you. And thank you.”

“I thought I just apologized,” Bruce said. “Why are you thanking me?”

“Because as awkward as it was,” Dick said, smiling over at him in the flashing light from the street lamps. “You were trying. It’s hard for me to take that for granted.”

The corners of Bruce’s mouth twitched. “You can take it a little for granted.”

“So what did you end up doing with Damian tonight, anyway?” Dick asked. “He will be furious if you let him know where we went for dinner.”

“Ironically, Connor is watching him,” Bruce said.

Dick laughed. “I still can’t believe you let Ollie’s kid watch your son.”

“I can’t believe Queen produced a son like that,” Bruce countered with.

Dick was still laughing when Bruce eased them up to the garage, parking the car. When Dick got out, he dropped his backpack and wrapped his arms around Bruce. As usual, Bruce tensed slightly, a habit he never could break before he relaxed slightly, returning the embrace.

“But please don’t come unannounced to school again,” Dick said and he felt Bruce chuckle.

“Alright, alright, I’ll try,” Bruce said.

Dick found himself laughing helplessly. “No, don’t try,” he said. “Do!”

“You’re not quoting those movies, are you?” Bruce asked, as Dick finally forced himself to step back.

“No,” Dick said. “If I was, I was doing it badly. But seriously, Bruce—”

“I won’t make promises I might not be able to keep,” Bruce said, swanning toward the door.

“Bruce!” Dick protested, grabbing his bag. “Bruce, I’m serious—”

But it was worth it when he got another chuckle and he couldn’t quite keep from smiling widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reference to a reporter finding Billy and almost adopting him is a direct reference to Shazam First Thunder where Superman finds out Captain Marvel is just a kid, living in an abandoned building, yells at Shazam about it, and then reveals that Clark Kent is Superman to Billy. 
> 
> So. That was Clark Kent that found him. 
> 
> The conversation he and Jason have about "you could have told me!" "Well it's sorta awkward to just drop that subject over coffee or something" is a conversation I've literally had with someone. So it's based off that in part. 
> 
> Look, I have a lot of feelings about Billy Baston and they were really just waiting to be unleashed since I introduced him into this story.


	9. Chapter 9

 The next morning, everyone stared at Dick as he walked to class. “It’s not that I didn’t expect this,” he said to Roy, who was walking beside him with his hands laced behind the back of his head. “But that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable.”

“It’s mostly the freshmen and sophomores,” Roy pointed out. “He hasn’t crashed school like that since middle school, so most of the Juniors and Seniors remember that.”

“You know, it’s not like my picture doesn’t end up in the newspaper from time to time,” Dick said. “You think they would already know.”

Roy laughed. “Like high schoolers read the newspaper, Dick?”

“Just because you have a point doesn’t mean I like it,” Dick said, as a particularly small girl made an “eep” sound and rushed away from them. “Jesus.”

“You realize the papers are going to lose their minds when Bruce Wayne’s ward kisses a boy on stage, right?” Roy said and Dick glared at him. “What? You didn’t think about that?”

“I did, but I don’t need the reminder this morning,” Dick said and looked over to spot Jason waiting outside the door to homeroom. “Hey,” he said, veering over and Roy glanced at them before shaking his head and strolling into the classroom. “How are you today?”

“Oh, you know,” Jason shrugged. “Yesterday was significantly more wild than I expected.”

“And you haven’t even met Damian yet,” Dick said and Jason arched a brow at him.

“Yeah? Who’s that?”

“Bruce’s son,” Dick said. “He’s seven years old and, well, fairly wild on a regular basis.”

“Uh-huh,” Jason said, still leaning against the wall and he shifted. Dick blinked, swallowing and realized he wanted to step forward just enough to box Jason in there—

He took a step back and to the side instead, Jason not seeming to notice.

“At any rate, you could have told me who your guardian was,” Jason said.

“I did mean to before he took things into his own hands,” Dick said, ducking his chin down. “It’s just—you were already—I don’t know. I didn’t want to make you feel—I just—”

“You didn’t want me getting more jealous or angry at you,” Jason finished for him and Dick flinched. “Yeah, well, I didn’t really open myself up for confidence, did I?”

“Jason,” Dick started.

“No, no I get it,” Jason said and pushed away from the wall. Dick didn’t shift back but it was a close thing. “I’m not even mad. I just,” he shook his head.

“Alfred’s the butler,” Dick said suddenly and Jason stared at him. “Just to—get that all out there. I mean, he’s only the butler because he refuses the fifty offers a month Bruce offers him to retire and just live with us. He practically raised Bruce, he certainly did a lot of the heavy lifting of raising me.”

Jason kept staring at him. “Right,” he settled for finally. “Okay. You live with a butler. What the fuck. No, I’m serious, what are you, a period drama?”

“I don’t really like the cravats,” Dick said. “But I will have you know he’s British.”

He could hear Jason sputter after him as he walked into classroom, trying to keep his expression under control as he took his usual seat.

-0-

Tim had them up on later the next week, even though people were still working on the sets all around them. “We need to work on blocking,” he said. Dick glanced over, spotting Helena sitting in the audience, examining her nails.

“Right,” Dick said, trying not to stare at Jason who wasn’t looking at him either.

He tried not to reach out and hold Jason’s hand like he always seemed to when they were on stage. It was easier when they were in the little practice room, Tim giving their directions.

“You know, Dick, both auditions you ended up holding Jason’s arm,” Tim said and Dick jumped, because he had just been trying not to do exactly that. “I think it really fits the mood of the song, we should work that into it.”

“Oh,” Dick said. “Okay.”

When he turned around, going to where Tim had indicated he stumbled, catching himself on Jason and drawing back immediately.

“What?” Jason frowned at him.

“Nothing, nothing,” Dick said, waving a hand. Jason stared at him like he didn’t believe it at all, but he didn’t press it either which Dick was thankful for.

-0-

After rehearsal, Jason caught up with Dick. “Hey,” he said, grabbing Dick’s arm and yanking him back.

“What?” Dick asked. “Is, is something wrong?”

“Actually that’s what I was going to ask you,” Jason said. “You were off all day. And staring. What’s up?” and he realized he was still holding Dick’s arm so he dropped his hand.

“It’s just,” Dick started and shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong, I just—”

And Jason wished he could stop looking at Dick’s mouth when he talked, stop wanting to lean in closer. He could handle this, he was better than some crush. He could be around Dick and not want to kiss him, not want to draw him closer and bury his face in the corner of his neck and shoulder.

He’d handled crushes before he could get past this one—

He realized he hadn’t said anything and had just been staring at Dick’s mouth, which was still open though he wasn’t speaking either.

“You just?” Jason prompted with the last thing he remembered.

“I just,” Dick started again and the thing was Jason could see him getting closer, could track him leaning in the whole way, but he remained frozen. Dick’s eyes were on his as he leaned in. “I just,” Dick repeated, almost a whisper and Jason could feel the air from the words on his mouth.

He closed his eyes when Dick slid his hands around the back of his head and pulled him in.

Of course it had to be Dick who kissed him, and despite knowing he would never have done it, Jason still felt the sting of cowardice. He wondered if this was what those looks Dick had been giving him had been, no matter what he tried to convince himself they were.

But that didn’t matter, because Dick’s mouth was there, chapped and warm against him, and how many times had Jason watched him chewing on his lower lip, wanting to tell him to stop, and how many times had he watched, aching—

Dick’s hands were warm in his hair and he might have groaned when he brought his own up to Dick’s waist. He felt the tiny jerk Dick gave as he traced his fingers along the top of his jeans before hooking his fingers in his beltloops and yanking him just that half inch closer. When Dick made a breathless sound, mouth opening against his, he used that to suck Dick’s tongue into his mouth. Dick made another helpless sound before he started laughing, a soundless shake of his chest that Jason could feel against his own, Dick tightening his fingers in Jason’s hair.

For a second he was distracted by that so he missed Dick’s leg slinking up until it was practically pressed against his waist and Jason slid one hand from Dick’s hips to his lower back to support him. With his other hand, he traced a path from Dick’s waist along the bottom of his thigh and curled his fingers there, holding the leg Dick had pressed against him.

Dick arched his back slightly, one hand dropping from Jason’s hair to his shoulder and he moaned, Jason catching it in his mouth. Jason’s chest felt too full, like it was going to burst at any time, and he didn’t dare open his eyes. Just clung to Dick balancing against him and kissed him like he was the only air that Jason could breathe anymore.

“God, I wanted,” Dick breathed when he drew back and Jason didn’t dare open his eyes yet. Dick didn’t move to draw back though, or like he wanted to drop his leg. They were still entangled helplessly together.

“You did?” Jason asked, eyes still closed.

“For a while,” Dick said and Jason shivered, still not opening his eyes but he pressed the side of his face against Dick’s cheek. Dick’s fingers were still in his hair and he was playing with it, his fingers stroking and lightly tugging the short strands. “God, I wanted to kiss you.” Jason made a shuddering sound. “We—we can work with this, right?” Dick asked, suddenly tensing. “I mean, you kissed me back, you want—”

“Yes,” Jason said like it had been torn out of him and he could feel Dick freeze and then shake. Slowly, Jason lowered the hand he had on Dick’s leg, easing it back down.

“Oh good,” Dick said, sounding like he didn’t have quite enough air in his lungs. “Good. You’re not gonna run, are you?”

“Not specifically at this moment,” Jason admitted and he finally lifted his head to meet Dick’s eyes, which were wide and bright, his mouth red. Jason stopped all over again, bringing his thumb up to swipe along the slight flush on Dick’s cheeks, watching the color deepen as he did so, Dick’s mouth dropping open again. “Check back later,” Jason said and he was kissing Dick again, his hand still on his lower back, the hand that had been on Dick’s cheek cupping the side of his face.

Dick’s hands trailed down from his shoulders, fingers catching on the fabric of his shirt as they went and before he could really think about it, Jason backed Dick up against the wall of the hallway. He didn’t follow the thought all the way through though, and the lockers rattled when Dick’s back hit them. “Fuck,” Jason said, starting to draw back but Dick just followed him, catching his mouth again, fingers digging into Jason’s lower back.

Jason braced his forearm against the locker next to Dick’s head, the other still cupping his cheek and he could feel Dick grinning against his mouth.

“You are such a freak,” Jason said and Dick was still grinning at him.

“I’m just really happy.”

“Yeah, to be kissing me, which is why you’re a freak,” Jason said and Dick tipped his head to one side. “You said,” Jason started and hesitated. “You had—for a while.”

“Yeah,” Dick agreed, voice low.

“But all your exes are girls,” Jason said.

“So?” Dick asked, frowning at him.

“I just didn’t think you’d want—me,” Jason said, and it felt like he was revealing far too much. He almost backed away, almost broke his promise of only a few minutes ago not to run.

Dick’s expression was too open as he stared at Jason. “I don’t want you to think this is what this is about,” he said softly. “Me, liking you—us hanging out. It doesn’t hinge on this. It’s not why I sang with you the first or the second time. But I do—I want you very much.”

“Freak,” Jason repeated again, voice having dropped and Dick was somehow still grinning at him. “Kiss me again?” he asked, and Jason couldn’t not comply.

He dropped his head down, nudging forward and Dick let out a happy sigh, wrapping both his arms around Jason’s neck.

For a while Jason could forget about the girl in Italy he was pretty sure Dick was in love with.

-0-

“You are so lucky no one saw you,” Roy said, when he called Dick after Dick sent him a text saying he had kissed Jason.

“Hi to you too,” Dick said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he kept stirring the pot. It wasn’t often Alfred let him cook, but lately he had started insisting that Dick would need survival skills for college.

Dick just blinked at him and didn’t say anything about the way his stomach churned.

“No, seriously, after school? In the hallway?”

“You make it sound like a game of Clue,” Dick said.

There was a pause on the other side of the line. “Oh my god,” Roy said after a second. “That would be _brilliant_. High school gossip edition of Clue. It’s not about who murdered who, but who did what questionable thing with who.”

“Oh my god,” Dick muttered.

“Oh shit, I’m telling Mia. She’ll help me and we’ll be rich.”

“Aren’t we all technically rich already?” Dick asked.

“Richer,” Roy amended. “So Bruce finally had that conversation with you about the bonds he put in the bank when he adopted you?”

“How did you already know about that?” Dick asked. “I just found out this week.”

“Um, because Ollie can’t keep a secret to save his life and secretly he’s a major softie for hard luck cases?” Roy said. “I found out when I was like fourteen.”

“I can’t believe they did that,” Dick muttered.

“You can’t?” Roy asked. “Because man, let me tell you, I have no disbelief about this.”

“It’s just,” Dick said. “It’s one thing to be raised by rich men. But to find out that Ollie and Bruce made us independently wealthy for when we move out too—”

“Well, what else were they gonna do?” Roy asked.

Dick turned off the heat on the pasta, resting his head against the wall for a second before bending down to find the strainer, keeping the phone lodged between his shoulder. “I don’t know. You’re right, I should have seen that coming.”

“And aren’t you turning eighteen next week?” Roy asked. “Which means technically you could skip out on senior year and live in the Bahamas or something.”

“Hah hah,” Dick muttered. “Not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Fair,” Roy said. “Okay, but we’ve gotten distracted. You _kissed_ Jason Todd?”

“That’s not surprising,” Dick said.

“No, you’re right, it’s not,” Roy said. “But I’m a little surprised he didn’t punch you and run.”

“I think he was a little too dazed,” Dick said.

“Ah, Dick Grayson strikes again,” Roy said.

“Hey, fuck you,” Dick said. “I’m not like, that—”

“You make people’s heads go fuzzy,” Roy said. “In awe, in lust, whatever.”

“Yeah, really, fuck you,” Dick said.

“Won’t that make your new boyfriend jealous.”

“Okay but we’re not calling him that yet,” Dick said. “Please don’t show up at school tomorrow and say that.”

“Trying not to scare him off, are we?” Roy asked as Dick dumped the drained pasta in the pot where the sauce had been warming up, stirring everything together.

“No shit,” Dick said.

“Whatever,” Roy said. “I’ll keep my mouth shut. But know I’m laughing at you.”

“Uh-huh,” Dick said. “Look, I need to finish dinner. I’m hanging up now.”

“Okay, but text me a pic when Bruce comes home.”

“What, why?” Dick asked as the phone clicked off. With a sigh, he set it on the counter, dropping peppers and mushrooms in to the pot. He looked up when the door opened. “It’s almost,” he started and stopped because Bruce walked in to the kitchen, glitter still in his hair, though it was obvious he had changed his suit at some point during the day.

“Oh no,” Dick said and gave up, helplessly laughing.

“It assume it will just be easier to let you take a picture so I can go shower,” Bruce said.

“Give me a second,” Dick said, fumbling for his phone.

After he took the first picture, Bruce smiled and flipped the camera off. When Dick took that picture, Bruce ruffled his hair, dislodging some more of the glitter. “And that’s the one you can send to Queen,” Bruce said.

“Done,” Dick said, still laughing.

“Father, whatever happened to you?” Damian said, walking into the kitchen and surveying the pot Dick had gone back to stirring with a critical eye.

“It’s vegetarian, promise,” Dick said and Damian nodded, before looking back at his father.

“Oliver Queen has discovered glitter bombs,” Bruce said. “This means war.”

Damian just furrowed his brows and had to take over stirring the pot when Dick lost it again, bending over he was laughing so hard. “Tt,” Damian said, as Dick clung to him to stay upright as he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Ollie and Bruce are gonna get into a massive prank war like the mature adults they are. 
> 
> I am finding such great things, like spring loaded glitter bombs.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sad thing is it's only been four months which for me isn't bad at all *facepalm*

Dick stood waiting for Jason at the bus line, his arms crossed over his chest and ignoring the stares he was getting as the rumor mill kicked itself up into high gear, those getting off the bus running right into those who were all too happy to tell them who had been found kissing the night before—

“Dick?” Jason asked, almost stopped on the stairs of the bus before remembering all the kids still behind him.

“Jason!” Dick said, too brightly, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the main entrance. “Good to see you, how are you this morning?”

They were already getting a few looks.

“I’m fine, what’s wrong?” Jason asked, going with Dick anyway.

“Nothing’s wrong—” Dick started.

“Yeah? Really? So what’s up?”

“Well,” and Dick finally stopped, turning to face Jason and not letting go of his wrist yet. “Well. It’s just. Yesterday—you know, when we,” and he bit his lip. “Were kissing? That was—that was good right?”

Jason stared at him long enough Dick realized he was holding his breath. “Was it not?” he asked finally. “For you?”

“No!” Dick said, and he dropped his hand to twine their fingers together. “Just, you were good with it, right?”

“Dick, please get to what you’re trying to say, I can’t take this,” Jason said and his voice did sound a little strained.

Dick took a breath and let it out. “Just, that, well, someone—uh—saw us.”

At first Jason’s expression was perfectly blank before his expression slowly opened up to shock. “They—are you serious?”

Trying to ignore the way his stomach turned over, Dick nodded. “It’s just—I’m pretty sure the whole school is talking about us dating. Which is—we haven’t really—said if we,” and he stopped, perilously close to babbling.  

“If we’re dating,” Jason said flatly.

“Yeah,” Dick said, his free hand curling and uncurling at his side but Jason hadn’t pulled his own hand back yet either. “So I guess—I wanted you to know that everyone would probably well, be asking, and if we wanted to—to have a story or explanation or—”

“Do you _want_ to be dating?” Jason asked, not really looking at him.

“Don’t you?” Dick asked.

“I asked that first,” Jason said, eyes flicking up and down again.

“I wouldn’t have kissed you otherwise,” Dick said, feeling a little lost and a little small, but that made Jason’s eyes snap back up, and the look of shocked happiness made a warmth open up in his chest—even as he wished the shock hadn’t been there at all. “I just don’t know—know how you’d actually feel about that, and I didn’t want to press or assume or—”

Jason’s hand came up, sliding into his hair and Dick found himself holding his breath again until Jason kissed him. It was soft, slow, and Dick curled his free hand in the front of Jason’s shirt, leaning forward.

“Is that a yes?” Dick asked, eyes still closed and not dropping either of his hands from Jason.

“Did you ask a yes or no question?” Jason asked, but he hadn’t drawn back yet.

“Do you want to date me, Jason Todd?”

He felt Jason let out a shaky breath. “You are unfuckingbelievable,” he murmured. “It is like, seven thirty in the morning.”

“Is that the only reason?” Dick asked, finally pulling back and fluttering his eyelashes at Jason, making him laugh.

“Yeah, okay,” Jason said and he tugged Dick close again, giving him another one of those heartbreakingly gentle kisses. “I guess I’ll date you, Dick Grayson.”

Dick tried to keep his grin under control but didn’t think he managed it. “Really?”

“This is surprising at this point?”

“A little,” Dick said, quietly as if that would make it less painful. “I mean, just because, you—”

“Are a grumpy bastard?” Jason asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Dick said, shaking his head. “Just—skittish.”

“Like a horse?” Jason asked, arching his brows and Dick flushed, remembering the hole his mouth had dug for him that day.

“Let’s maybe not go there again,” he said. “My pride can only take that once.”

And he reached forward, throwing one arm around Jason’s neck to kiss him again. He lost himself there for a moment, until a whistle caused them both to turn and stare at Roy, who was grinning.

“Loverbirds, I can only run interference for so long, and the bell is about to ring.”

“I hate you,” Dick decided.

“Hey, who kept all the freshmen with their phones away from your corner? Me. Which means you owe me like, a whole batch of Alfred’s cookies because freshmen girls are _insane_.”

“I’ll let him know I sold his labor out,” Dick said.

“Include that it was for teenage necking and send me the pic of him trying not to react,” Roy added and Dick shook his head, glancing back at Jason.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Ready for today?”

“Sure,” Jason said and Dick bit the inside of his cheek, but didn’t let go of Jason’s hand all the way to the classroom.

-0-

Jason didn’t start panicking until halfway through third period.

Dick wasn’t even there to set it off—with his smile and his perfect kindness and bright robin egg blue shirt. Someone just glanced sideways at Jason and all at once he felt the air go out of lungs because Dick had held his hand in the hallways, and Jason had kissed him like he was fragile.

He had gone home the night before, had curled up in his room and tried to do homework, but instead he ended up with his head in his hands trying to breath. Because Dick had kissed him and looked at him with dark eyes and he hadn’t slept the night before very well at all. He had rehearsed for every conversation where Dick let him down gently, talked about the play and adrenaline and how he already had someone anyway.

There was no rehearsed conversation where Dick asked him to actually date him.

Where Dick held his hands and flirted and was sweetly awkward.

And now the whole school knew, because he had been the one to kiss Dick in the morning, and even some of the teachers were looking at him like they _knew_ and he couldn’t breathe.

His panic lasted all the way through lunch, and he didn’t even dare enter the cafeteria, avoided Billy and Dick and hid in the back teacher’s parking lot. He sat with his back to the wall, head in his knees, and realized this was a really uninspiring first day as a boyfriend. Dick would probably realize what a fool he was and take the offer back before last period—

“I figured it was going to be something like this,” and Jason looked up to find Roy leaning against the wall beside him.

“Fuck you,” he decided.

“Uh-huh,” Roy said. “I had to convince like four people I should be the one to go track you down. Dick is pretending he’s not bothered, Billy is bothered, and Kori looked a little bit like she might be coming at you on the warpath.”

“Who was the fourth?” Jason asked after a beat.

“Babs gave me a really serious look and I pretty instantly said I was going,” Roy said.

“Dick has a lot of friends,” Jason said, running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah he does,” Roy said. “And the funny thing is, he still doesn’t seem to get it, you know? The effect he has on people. I could write a book, the Grayson Effect, how to be perfect and really fuck up a lot of people around you.”

“You think it would work for anyone beside him?” Jason asked, glancing up.

“No, but what self-help book does?” Roy asked. “The point is I could sell a few thousand copies, no problem.”  

“So what do you want?” Jason asked, looking across the parking lot again.

“Well, it would be cool if you could come to lunch,” Roy said. “Maybe talk to Dick, you know? And maybe not say anything like you don’t deserve him or happiness or whatever issue it is you have.”

“Never become a therapist,” Jason said. “Please, god, that is not the life path for you.”

“No kidding,” Roy said.

“I don’t,” Jason started and stopped. “I really don’t deserve him though. And he treats it so casually, oh, do you want to date? Let’s date! Hold my hand and everything will be—fine. Just like that.”

“Isn’t it fine?” Roy asked. “Why wouldn’t it be fine?”

“There are a thousand things that can go wrong,” Jason said. “Not to mention the fact the whole school—”

“Fuck the whole school, man,” Roy said. “Just get over it and come to lunch, yeah?”

“Yeah, alright,” Jason said finally, standing up and Roy grinning at him.

“Don’t worry,” he said as they walked back around the building and toward the cafeteria. “I now have a whole new reason to embarrass Dick with the like, hundred terrible stories I have from knowing him since he was nine.”

“I’m not sure you embarrassing him is going to make me feel better,” Jason said.

“Oh don’t worry,” Roy said. “They’re pretty great, and he takes it like a champ.”

Jason grunted and after they had walked a ways further, he asked, “Have you really known him since he was nine?”

“Well, more like ten,” Roy said. “I mean, he had been with Bruce for a while before I got taken in by Ollie, who wanted his own orphan because Bruce had one. Those two assholes are always trying to one up each other and it even included who could have the better behaved orphan. Unbelievable, honestly.”

“You’re shitting me,” Jason said, convinced. “I mean, you are shitting me, right?”

“Nope,” Roy said, far too cheerfully. “Bruce has flat out asked Ollie if he’s ever had an original thought in his head and I can safely say the answer is no. It’s great. I mean,” he shrugged. “Ollie’s fine. Bit of a self-centered jerk, but he gave me a home and I can’t fault him for most of his bullshit. And it means I got to be Dick’s best friend almost by default when we got dragged to all the fancy parties neither of us wanted to be at and we hid in the kitchen and ate way too many desserts.”

“Are all rich people so odd?” Jason asked.

“Probably,” Roy said. “I’m sure you’ll get your own chance to see sooner rather than later.”

“What does that mean?” Jason asked, but they had reached the cafeteria finally and the look of relief on Dick’s face made Jason want to punch himself. So he sat down and Dick gave him plenty of space. “I, uh,” he tried.

“It’s fine,” Dick said and looked like he meant it, but was happy Jason was there anyway, and for the first time Jason could ignore the whispers he was certain were about him because he was sitting next to Dick.

“So, what did Roy mean that I would find out how weird rich people are sooner rather than later?” Jason asked, a while later, when there was only a few minutes left in the lunch period.

“Roy,” Dick said sharply.

“What?” Roy shrugged. “I could have meant he’d find out because we’re all just as weird. Like you weren’t going to bring it up anyway.”

Dick sighed, and Wally looked up. “Wait, I don’t even know what’s going on.”

“Yeah you do,” Roy said, elbowing him. “Barry always comes to these shindigs.”

“Oh, that,” Wally said, and looked down again before his eyes snapped up. “No, that’s a terrible idea.”

“What is?” Jason asked.

“ _Going_ ,” Wally said.

“To _what_?” Jason asked and looked at Dick who was hiding his eyes behind his hand.

“Every few months,” he started.

“Quarterly, to be precise,” Roy added.

Dick sighed. “Bruce and his friends tend to throw a party to get together.”

“Friends is used loosely here,” Roy contributed.

“Please shut up,” Dick said, glaring at him and Roy held his hands up. “Even if that is true. Everyone is at least friends with someone else. I mean, not everyone is super rich or anything, Clark’s a reporter.” Beside Jason Billy looked up abruptly and over at Dick. “Barry works with the police. But, yeah, okay, everyone is a lot crazy and most of them have more money than they have any idea what to do with.”

“And one of these,” Jason glanced at Roy. “Quarterly parties is coming up, is it?”

“Yeah, in about three weeks,” Dick said.

“And not just any party!” Roy said. “I mean, they almost always cover someone’s birthday in the group but let’s be honest, this one is going to be _insane_.”

Dick groaned again. “Why?” Jason asked.

“Because it’s my birthday,” he said.

“Let’s be honest here,” Roy said with another wide grin. “It’s your _eighteenth_ birthday. Which means everyone is going to lose their shit over you.”

“Eighteen?” Jason asked. “But—”

“Got held back a year,” Dick said immediately and Jason winced. “No, it’s not—I mean it’s a sore subject to Bruce more than it is to me. It was just stupid school politics because I missed half of third grade when my parents,” and he trailed off. “Anyway, they demanded the circus brat repeat the grade.”

“That’s a really dick move,” Jason said, angry curled up under his chest bone.

Dick shrugged. “Yeah. Bruce was ready to go with a lawsuit and just about insisted I go to a private school like he’d wanted originally. I said that would defeat the purpose of wanting to go to public school and have a normal teenage experience. Sometimes I’m still not sure how I won that fight and even though third grade was really boring since Bruce and Alfred had been tutoring me,” he shrugged. “It’s not been so bad.”

“Okay,” Jason allowed, even though he found himself looking at Dick again and wondering how he managed to be so _happy_ about what shitty things life had done to him. “So this party—”

“I want you to come,” Dick said immediately. “But I wasn’t going to bring it up today.  I was going to ease into the idea a bit more first.”

Wally shook his head. “And that’s also going to cause everyone to lose their shit,” he said under his breath and Jason glared at him.

But when Dick curled his hand around his, he forgot all about it for a moment. Because Dick’s hand was warm and he wanted to bury his face in Dick’s shoulder and stay there for a while.

The fact he trusted Dick to watch out for him if he allowed himself to be vulnerable was perhaps the scariest part of it all.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by vacation and wine
> 
> Edit: because of the wine I forgot to mention the amazing fanart I got! [It's so beautiful and my heart is full](http://victoriousscarf.tumblr.com/post/159287367767/pentapoda-fanart-for-one-of-my-favorite-ongoing)

When Roy closed his locker he turned to find Dick leaning against the one next to him, arms crossed. “I’m honestly trying to remember if I have ever been this angry with you.”

“When you were dating Kori,” Roy said. “Probably.”

“Oh no, you’re right,” Dick said after a beat. “Mostly for shockingly similar reasons.”

“Dick, sometimes it’s like drawing water from an empty well, trying to get stuff from you.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to tell it _for_ me,” Dick said, eyes narrowed. “Especially not today.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t date someone you expect to run away,” Roy said.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be pathologically inclined to drive off the people I am dating.”

“Think of it more like a trial by fire,” Roy said with a shrug and Dick twitched his hand, like he wanted to smack the locker. A few people were still passing them on the way to the buses but Roy usually gave Dick a ride home so neither were inclined to move yet, even though there was no play practice that afternoon.

“My dates don’t need that,” Dick said. “They—He’s going to get enough of that with Bruce and everyone else, this wasn’t your place to say all those things.”

“I want to make sure,” Roy started.

“Roy,” Dick cut him off. “Roy, you don’t need to protect me. I don’t need you to protect me either.”

“Yeah, okay, maybe not,” Roy said after a moment too long for it to be entirely sincere.

Dick sighed, hanging his head for a second before lifting it back up. “Do you have something against Jason?”

Roy leaned one shoulder against the locker, facing Dick. “He’s going to run out on you.”

“That’s my problem,” Dick said.

“You’re my best friend,” Roy said and for a second they both let that hang in the air between them. “Some of that is my problem too.”

Sighing, Dick looked away. “There’s no promise he’s going to run out,” he said, not quite sounding convinced.

“No promise he won’t,” Roy said. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted to know he could handle… some of it. Some of the crazy stuff he’d probably be put through if you did invite him to the party.”

“Which you did _for_ me,” Dick pointed out.

“Yeah okay, I see now that was a dick move.”

Narrowing his eyes again Dick considered him before apparently letting that one go. “Yeah, yeah it was.”

For a moment Roy paused, before he grinned. “So do you want to stop at the horribly retro ice cream place on the way home?”

“Bribing me isn’t going to make me less angry,” Dick said.

“Uh, yeah, milkshakes would make anyone less angry when they’re _that_ good,” Roy said.

“So long as you’re paying for it,” Dick allowed, finally pushing off the locker, Roy following him down the hall.

“Yeah that’s sort of how bribing works,” Roy replied. A few feet later he looked over at Dick. “I like Jason, you know,” he said and Dick glanced over, surprised.

“Don’t act like it.”

“On his own,” Roy said. “I don’t trust him with you.”

“You don’t have to trust him with me,” Dick said. “I just have to trust him with me.”

“Hey, without Donna here I’m doing double duty worrying about you,” Roy said and Dick shoved his shoulder into Roy’s. “Besides, I know you’re friends now, but we all remember Kori and you breaking up.”

“I’d be alright with never being reminded about that again,” Dick said.

“Which I hope you realize is why we got to,” Roy said.

“You really don’t have to do anything,” Dick protested and Roy threw an arm over his shoulder as they walked, knocking Dick into his side.

“Yeah I do,” he said and Dick quieted against his side, subtly pressing a little closer.

-0-

“Do you think Tim has been avoiding us?” Dick asked the next day, chin in his hand.

Jason glanced over. “It’s been a day,” he said. “We didn’t have practice yesterday. It’s not like he usually eats lunch with us or something.” Jason paused. “Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in the lunchroom. He has friends, right?”

“He’s got to,” Dick said and then frowned. They were sitting on the roof before school started, skipping the usual gathering in homeroom and putting that off until the last minute. “I just don’t remember seeing them.”

Jason tried not to reach out. He wanted to lay an arm along Dick’s shoulders, or pull him in closer because suddenly he had _permission_ to do that. And yet it still felt too needy so he wrapped his arms around his backpack which was sitting on his lap instead.

“But do you think he would be bothered?” Dick asked.

“He literally wrote a play in which we’re supposed to kiss,” Jason said. “He was super _excited_ that he got to cast two dudes in it.”

“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be… actually bothered by us, being together,” Dick said.

“But it means the likelihood is a lot less,” Jason said.

Dick bit his lip and Jason was staring again. He wanted so much it made him ache with it and it still felt miraculous when he remembered he didn’t just have to stare. Before he could remind himself he was supposed to be playing it cool and not being too needy he had dropped his backpack unceremoniously to the ground and leaned forward, covering Dick’s mouth with his.

And instantly Dick was pressing back against him, sliding one hand around Jason’s shoulder.

Jason felt like he was still waiting for the punchline, for the other shoe to drop, for him to wake up, but Dick was still kissing him back, warm and soft and he could feel Dick grinning, the shape of his lips curving up.

“We’re going to be late soon,” Dick said, but he didn’t draw back. “The bell is going to ring.”

“Okay,” Jason said, because Dick had leaned back against the bench and Jason had practically crawled on top of him.

“We’re not supposed to be late,” Dick said, but he was still grinning, his mouth still brushing Jason’s when he formed the words.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed and pressed back in, swiping his tongue along the bottom of Dick’s mouth.

The shrill sound of the warning bell finally forced him to draw back. “And now we have to run,” Dick said and somehow they got themselves untangled and their bags in hand before taking the stairs down two at a time and bolting through the hallways to their homeroom. They slid in the door before the last bell rang, everyone already there looking up and staring.

“Good of you to join us,” Ms. Kyle said, standing at the front of the classroom.

“Always happy to be here,” Dick said brightly as the bell rang. “This is slightly embarrassing,” Dick said as they walked to their seats, Roy rolling his eyes at them and Wally looking like he was trying not to laugh.

“Uh-huh,” Jason said, mostly agreeing but at the same time not giving a damn. Dick flashed him a grin that shouldn’t have possibly been so bright so early in the morning and sat down, Jason biting the inside of his cheek before following.

-0-

“People are gossiping about you,” Wally said at lunch. “Like I’ve had three people ask me if you’re _really_ Bruce Wayne’s kid, which, why do no kids read the newspaper?”

“The only reason you read the gossip section is because you know half the people in it,” Dick pointed out.

“Okay fine. But I had another five ask about Jason and honestly, Dick, another four ask about the play and if you’re really going to kiss a boy on stage. Could you maybe calm down and not do anything drastic for a while?”

“You know, I think this rumor cycle might actually be worse than when I was in third grade,” Dick said. “I thought _that_ was going to be the peak of everyone talking about me.”

“Yeah but third grade was a far less refined time,” Wally said.

“I don’t remember people talking about us like this,” Kori said, leaning her elbows on the table.

“That’s because you were mostly dating during the summer,” Roy said. “And you know, that’s traditional. Hot boy and girl make out everywhere. I mean sure, Dick’s popular but that wasn’t like,” and he stopped when both Dick and Jason stared at him. “I mean. Boys kissing boys is a whole different gossip machine.”

“Yes thank you for breaking that down,” Dick said, shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. “Jay, I want to check the practice room.”

Jason jumped slightly at the casual nickname that Billy used sometimes coming out of Dick’s mouth. “The—what?”

“Tim,” Dick explained, standing.

“This is really bothering you,” Jason remarked, pushing himself to his feet to follow, Billy waving at him before going back to what he was saying to Garth.

“Yeah, it is,” Dick said, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

“Alright, off we go then,” Jason said. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to both go after him though?” Jason asked when they were out of the lunch room. “I mean, in case there is a problem.”

“It’s still related to both of us,” Dick said. “So sure.”

“So sure, Christ that’s inspiring,” Jason muttered and Dick grinned at him. “You’re not really good at making plans, are you?”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever really needed to make plans,” Dick said, shrugging one shoulder.

“You are a disaster,” Jason said and because the hall was mostly empty, Dick turned to face him, still grinning and holding one of his hands.

“But that’s alright, isn’t it?”

“What, you being incapable of planning or being a disaster?” Jason asked, focused for a second on the way Dick’s hand fit into his.

“Either,” Dick said.

Jason licked his lips and looked back up. “I think I’ll find a way to live with it.”

“How kind,” Dick said, but he turned and continued to head for Tim’s favored practice room.

“That’s me,” Jason said, hoping beyond belief once again that Dick never figured out how badly he wasn’t anything Dick would want. “Just a bundle of kindness.”   

But Dick let that slide, pushing open the door to the practice room. “Tim?” he asked, because someone was pecking out random notes on the piano. That instantly stopped when Tim looked up at the door.

“Oh,” he said, moving to get up and seeming to decide just to sit back down. “Do you want something? I mean, can I help you with something?”

“No,” Dick said, moving into the room and perching on the far end of the piano bench. “Just wanted to see how things were going.”

“Oh, you know,” Tim said, shuffling the music he had laying out, trying to get all the pages that were laid out over the piano. “Just working out some of the last act.”

“Tim, is something wrong?” Dick asked, Jason sitting on the edge of one of the spare desks shoved into the room.

“Wrong?” Tim asked too quickly.

“Yeah,” Dick said, starting to lean his elbow on the edge of the piano before thinking better of it. “Is anything?”

“Dick thinks you’re bothered,” Jason cut in when Tim just stared at Dick.

“What? Bothered by what?”

“Us,” Jason said. “Dating. I pointed out you wrote a play and cast us in it knowing we were going to kiss at some point.”

“There’s stage kissing,” Tim protested and Dick’s expression fell.

“You are bothered.”

“What? No! I mean,” Tim obviously shifted uncomfortably, poking at a few keys. “It’s not that you—being together—is bad. I just. It’s just. With the play. I guess there are a lot of—no it’s not even the play. Though I expect you both to be very professional about this,” he added, giving them both a stern look. “Especially if anything goes wrong.”

“Which it won’t,” Dick said with enough conviction Jason would never dream of contradicting him.

“It’s just,” Tim paused. “It’s not about the play right? I mean, you didn’t audition just because you wanted a cover to date, or alternatively you aren’t dating because you think, I don’t know, it would make it better in character?”

“Seriously?” Jason asked.

“I just,” Tim started to protest and stopped. “Worried, a little, okay. It’s really not about,” and his eyes flickered to Dick for a second. “Two guys, dating. You specifically, dating. It’s just,” he stopped.

“It’s caught up in something you spent a lot of time creating,” Jason said and Tim and Dick blinked over at him. “What?”

Dick shook his head slightly, smiling while Tim tilted his head to consider Jason. “Yeah, okay. I mean, I have spent a lot of time working on this. I never thought Ms. Kyle was going to go for it and then she did and I went through the auditions terrified I made such a mistake until you got on the stage and,” he looked away. “I just want it to work out.”

“It will,” Dick said. “We’re both pretty committed.”

“Yeah,” Jason said, leaning back and starting to relax. “I mean, this kid was in the circus, he’s totally ready to get on a stage and sing his damn heart out.”

Except his joke fell totally flat because Tim’s entire posture changed, his face going pale before his eyes darted to Dick. “What?” Dick asked, drawing his shoulders in slightly, as Tim stared at him. “Tim, what is it?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t,” Jason started.

“Circus,” Tim repeated, ignoring both of them. “Grayson.”

“Yeah,” Dick said. “That—that’s always been my name.”

“I didn’t,” Tim started and rose suddenly. Without another word he fled, leaving all his sheet music behind.

“What just happened?” Dick asked.

“Shit, shit, I did not mean—” Jason started.

“I know,” Dick said. “I just want to know what the _hell_ caused that reaction.”

“Yeah, that was unexpected,” Jason said, eyes drifting to where Tim had run out. The warning bell for lunch startled them both.

Dick sighed, pushing himself to his feet and leaning against Jason for a second. “See you after school?”

“Yeah,” Jason said, pressing a kiss against Dick’s cheek before they opened the door and parted ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I think about certain scenes or ideas I have and go nah that's way too melodramatic and then I start talking with Medda about high school and remember how goddamn melodramatic the whole experience is. Hormones I guess. Everyone was crazy for a while.


	12. Chapter 12

“You know I can borrow one of Bruce’s cars,” Dick said that afternoon as Roy perched on a tree, happily painting it. Dick was still trying to figure out why there was a set that required a dozen and movable wooden trees. He thought they had the whole script and it was still a mystery.

“Yeah, you could,” Roy said.

“You’re using me as an excuse to hang out and help,” Dick said, not much of a question and Roy flashed him a grin.

“Come on, you know I always get bored when the season ends. Like, baseball is the spring sport? And that is so not my thing.”

“And has nothing to do with the fact that Jade is working on the costumes?” Dick asked, crossing his arms on the bottom of the trees branches and looking up on Roy.

“Nah, man, it’s all about Grace,” Roy said, and Dick rolled his eyes, using that as an excuse to look around again and find as usual there was no Tim. “Do you know how much she can lift? She won’t tell me and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Yeah you’re going to have to live with the mystery,” Dick said.

“You’re a terrible friend,” Roy moaned, and Dick bit the inside of his cheek because Tim wasn’t anywhere.

“That is surprisingly true,” he muttered and Roy looked down abruptly.

“Eh? What? I was joking, Dick.”

“I know,” Dick said and pushed back. “Hold on,” he said, jogging up to Ms. Kyle as she walked across the stage. “Hey,” he said, skidding to a stop in front of her. “I was just wondering—Tim hasn’t come by this afternoon?”

“Paying attention, are you?”

“Well I sorta want to ask him about the trees,” Dick said, which was true. “And, you know, this is his baby, so he’s never not here. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

She considered him for a long moment and he was biting the inside of his cheek again not to shift uncomfortably under the scrutiny. “He said he had to go home early, he’s not feeling well.”

“Does he need anything?” Dick asked immediately.

“Do you even know where he lives?” Ms. Kyle asked, her brows going up and Dick gave him, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“No?” he said. “I could… call him? Myself? Instead of asking you. Okay, yeah, I’ll stop bothering you, sorry,” and he started backtracking.

“It’s nice to know he has friends,” she said and he froze, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights considering this was somehow all his fault because it had been him Tim looked at in something like sheer terror before running away and apparently all the way home.

“Yeah,” he said instead. “It’s great. He’s a good kid. I, I mean, I like him a lot.”

“He is a good kid,” she said. “But do you even have his number?”

“Yeah,” Dick said. “Yeah, I do.”

She hummed, considering him intently before nodding. “Well, tell him get better for me would you?”

“Will do,” Dick said and watched her go, stepping off the stage and he sighed.

-0-

He let Roy drop him off at home before instantly going to Bruce’s office, poking his head in. “I need a car.”

“Do you?” Bruce asked, not looking up.

“Yeah, a friend got sick and I’m going to see if he needs anything,” Dick said.

Bruce looked up at that, his brows inching up but he nodded. “Sure, take one of them. Is it Jason?”

“No,” Dick said and hesitated, before he turned away, skipping stairs on the way down to the garage to dig through all of Bruce’s keys. He knew which cars Bruce would let him drive and which ones were off limits, even to him at this point.

Finding a relatively inconspicuous car he slid into the driver’s seat, checking the text Roy had sent him, which he had gotten from a girl named Stephanie, with Tim’s address. He felt a little terrible going behind Tim’s back for it, but suspected Tim wasn’t going to actually tell him himself.

Which was why he showed up at Tim’s address and did a double take before approaching the door and knocking, stepping back for a second and tipping his head back to take in the ornate old Victorian façade.

After a few minutes the door opened, Tim staring at him. “Dick?”

“Hey, sorry,” Dick said.

“Sorry?” Tim repeated.

“For, uh, whatever I did earlier,” Dick said. “And I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing. Are you okay?” He looked Tim up and down, and Tim didn’t seem to bad off expect for the shock painting his face.

“You came all this way?”

“Sure,” Dick said, sliding his hands into his pockets and Tim was still gaping. “I really wanted to make sure you were okay. And apologize.”

“You don’t,” Tim started, bit his lip and looked down. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“Something was said that bothered you,” Dick said. “A _lot_.”

Tim rubbed his fingers along his chin, still looking down. “Yeah, but it wasn’t your fault. I just—hadn’t realized—it’s not anything you did. I just hadn’t figured it out, that’s all.”

Dick hesitated, tilting his head. “Okay, I understood none of that.”

“Can you, can you give me a sec?” Tim asked and closed the door in his face. Eyebrows raising at it, Dick took a step back, hands still in his pockets and waited.

A moment later Tim opened the door with a jacket on, and a frame held against his chest so Dick couldn’t see the picture. “There’s a park across the street,” Tim said. “If, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah that’s fine,” Dick said, glancing back at the house again. “Um. That’s a nice house.”

“Sure,” Tim said, looking down.

“Do your parents work late?” Dick asked.

“No,” Tim said. “Or maybe really, really yes. They’re out of town, on business, like usual. They, uh, travel a lot.”

“They just leave you alone?” Dick asked and Tim gave him a quick look.

“It’s not like that,” he snapped and Dick held his hands up.

“No, no, sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like that.”

“They are gone a lot,” Tim said softly and sat down on a bench near the edge of the park. Hesitating, Dick sat down beside him, bracing his elbows on his knees and watching Tim. “So, I know you came here thinking you should apologize but really I should. For worrying you, for being so weird.”

“Tim, it’s not,” Dick started.

“Can I just?” Tim asked and Dick snapped his mouth closed. “I mean, the thing is, I knew who you were, the whole school generally does.” Dick sighed but didn’t say anything and Tim glanced at him. “I knew your last name was Grayson but I really didn’t think it was, I mean, I didn’t—I was certain it wasn’t the Flying Graysons. That would just be too much.”

“That,” Dick frowned, a pit opening at the bottom of his stomach. “Is that, is there a problem with that?” he asked, wanting to get up and run. His hands had tightened on his knees.

“No,” Tim said quickly, eyes wide when he looked over. “It’s just—it’s just—this is going to come across as so creepy.”

“Why is,” Dick started to ask and stopped when Tim handed him the photo he had been holding. For a second Dick just looked at it, because there were his parents, smiling at whoever was taking the picture. And down on one knee was him, grinning at a small boy whose eyes were wide looking back at him. “What?” Dick managed.

“I did say it was creepy,” Tim muttered.

“This,” Dick blinked at it and back at Tim. “I’m—at a loss, honestly.”

Tim sighed, leaning back on the bench and crossing his arms. “I got defensive about my parents,” he said. “But they are gone, a _lot_. Even when they’re here Dad and Dana are—they don’t mean to be distant it’s just how things are. But, I mean, even when Mom—they still traveled a lot.”

“Tim,” Dick started and Tim shook his head.

“It’s pathetic, how much,” and he sighed. “I was really happy that night. You were so nice, you even told me you were dedicating that night’s performance to me.”

“I don’t remember,” Dick said with a frown.

“Trauma tends to do that,” Tim said, looking down and Dick suddenly got it. He almost dropped the picture.

“When my parents died.”

“Yeah,” Tim said.

“Why does this picture matter so much to you?” Dick asked when the silence went on so long. He was trying not to stare at his parent’s faces, the old pain opening back up.

“As I said, my parents aren’t here that often,” Tim said, still not looking at him. “And you were so _nice_ to a totally strange boy. Like it came naturally to you to be warm. And then later that night. I always wished there were superheroes just because things like that shouldn’t happen to such warm and kind boys. Someone should have been able to save them.”

His eyes flickered over and away again and Dick had to swallow hard.

“I just wanted that boy to be happy,” Tim said. “I guess the picture reminded me that someone could be so kind in the world. That that’s worth being kind for.”

“I was just a kid,” Dick managed.

“Yeah, I don’t think you get what it’s like growing up basically alone,” Tim said. “And, as I said, I hoped that boy was happy somewhere. You know, the thing that I guess really got to me? The first song I ever wrote? Was about him—well, you I guess.”

Dick blinked. “What?”

“Yeah, it sorta freaked me out this afternoon,” Tim said. “I mean, the ballad of the Flying Graysons isn’t something I ever showed anyone else, ever, or performed for anyone, ever, but it was the first thing that made me want to, like, really get into music. I loved music, I really found solace in there. But that’s what got me writing. And now, now that something is actually being performed,” he laughed. “Guess who auditioned?”

“Is that going to be okay?” Dick asked, having not quite recovered his equilibrium.

“Yeah,” Tim said quickly, finally turning to face him on the park bench. “Yeah of course it is! It’s great. I just, I couldn’t quite believe it, you know? The fact that I met you again, that you seemed to like me, that this is actually happening. I just—I freaked out this afternoon and I’m such a creep—”

Dick gently set the framed photo on the grass beside the bench before reaching out and pulling Tim against his chest, squeezing his shoulders tightly. “Hey, Tim?”

“Yeah?” Tim asked, his voice muffled against Dick’s shoulder.

“I do like you,” Dick said. “And I’m happy. I really am happy.”

“Yeah?” Tim asked weakly, turning his head slightly but not raising it.

“Yeah,” Dick said. “I’m really happy. It’s hard sometimes, and some days are worse than others and it never really goes away, you know? But when it matters, aside from those bad days? I’m really happy. That boy you wanted to be happy? He is. He really, really is.”

Tim’s hands came up hesitantly before he wrapped them around Dick. “Thank you.”

“Yeah,” Dick said, rubbing his back. “You’re welcome.”

They sat like that for a while, Tim finally being the first to pull back. He sniffled once before squaring his shoulders. “How did it go this afternoon, anyway?” he asked and Dick bent down, picking the photo back up and handing it to Tim.

“Went good,” he said. “Actually, I was really meaning to ask you about all the trees props is making?”

Tim blinked at him and slowly smiled and Dick felt himself settle back down, finally convinced things were going to be okay between them.

-0-

Jason waited until lunch to pull Dick up to the roof. “We all know the shenanigans you’re getting to up there,” Roy said when Jason stood and motioned to Dick he wanted to go upstairs.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dick said, grinning at him but following Jason since the period was only half over.

“So Tim seemed okay this morning,” Jason said, when they were away from everyone else.

“Yeah,” Dick said.

“Ever figure out what it was?” Jason asked, trying to be casual as he leaned against one of the concrete walls, mostly obscured with planters. “That bothered him so much?”

“Yeah,” Dick said. “It’s sorta—wild really. He was there the day my parents died.”

“Shit,” Jason said after a beat, reaching a hand out and twining his fingers with Dick’s. “That—”

“I had apparently dedicated the performance that night to him,” Dick said, looking at their hands. “Sorta messed up in hindsight. Anyway, he just hadn’t put that together, I guess. He, uh, apparently wrote his first song about it?”

Jason blinked at him a long moment before he shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Grayson,” he said, pulling Dick in and kissing him. He still couldn’t stop the thrill when Dick leaned into him, his hands sliding up the front of his tee-shirt.

“What do you mean, Jesus Christ, Grayson?” Dick asked, drawing back.

“Of course his first song was about you,” Jason said, shaking his head slightly and Dick was still warm in his hands.

“What does _that_ mean?” Dick asked, mouth twisted and eyebrows raised.

“I would probably be inspired to write songs about you,” Jason said.

“That,” Dick’s mouth twitched. “What?”

“Of course they would be terrible,” Jason said and his fingers were making tiny circles against Dick’s back, catching on the fabric of his almost tasteful red tee-shirt, except for the garishly bright orange, yellow, and purple pattern on the front. Jason couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. “But I probably would.”

“Now you have to because I want to see this,” Dick said, laughing and Jason pressed their mouths together, swallowing Dick’s happiness.

“You really don’t get the effect you have on people,” Jason said, pulling back and not dropping his hands.

“Oh?” Dick asked and for once he hadn’t winced. Instead he tilted his head and grinned. “Do I have an effect on you, Mr. Todd?”

“You have no idea,” Jason said and something flashed in Dick’s eyes but Jason ignored it to kiss him, mouths sliding together and he lost himself there, in the rise and fall of Dick’s chest against his own, the way his fingers curled against his shoulders and the way Dick’s breath caught against his mouth. He forced his hands and mouth to remain gentle and soft and ignored the slight frown between Dick’s brows when he finally drew back.

“How much longer until the bell?”

Dick checked his watch, not untangling himself but just lifting his wrist over Jason’s shoulder. “Five more minutes to be safe.”

And when Jason kissed him again, despite the frown, Dick leaned against him like nothing was bothering him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you all might be noticing at this point that no one's backstory has actually changed from canon (Except like obviously Diana and Clark will be way more difficult to adapt to this setting). A few weeks ago, I saw a post going you know i want an au where all the superhero back stories are the same except they're not heroes they're just normal people. 
> 
> So I hope people actually want that because that's what I've been doing with this story for a while now *laughs* Tim is just the most obvious I think, because how to get his origin story of "one time a nice boy hugged him" into this story is a bit different from simply "everyone is still an orphan." 
> 
> Anyway. Have a good night/day dear readers.


End file.
